Cathy Marston on The Cellist, her new ballet about Jacqueline du Pre

The Cellist is a new ballet inspired by the life and work of renowned British cellist Jacqueline Du Pré, who lived with multiple sclerosis. Choreographed by the award-winning Cathy Marston, it has proved a particularly personal and poignant journey for Cathy as her mum also has MS. The Cellist premieres at the Royal Opera House on February 17 and will be screened at cinemas across the UK on February 25. Ahead of the premiere, we caught up with Cathy to hear more about the inspiration behind the work, what made Jacqueline Du Pré so special and the importance of raising awareness of MS.

Thank you for talking to us Cathy. Can you tell us a little more about the inspiration behind The Cellist? Why Jacqueline Du Pré?

It was an idea of my sister Susy, who is a drama teacher in Cambridge. She started a new job and walked into her office and there was an old battered cello there. So one of the first exercises she did with her students was to improvise with this cello. She put on the music of Jacqueline playing the Elgar Cello Concerto and it was the seed of an idea that she then planted in me. My mum has MS like Jacqueline, so that connected me to the idea, and also I’d choreographed a ballet the year before in which I had asked one of the dancers to become a cello. It was only a 30-second sequence in a full length ballet but it really worked. So it made me think there is a cello ballet waiting to be made. Then when Susy suggested Jacqueline, it just grew from there.

What made Jacqueline Du Pré such an extraordinary musician and person?

When she played, it was always an incredibly passionate interpretation of the music.  But what I have also gleaned from people who have seen her perform, is that she had this presence which was quite remarkable. She was very young, she had long blonde hair and blue eyes, and she moved quite a lot which was interesting to me as a choreographer. A lot of teachers and critics criticised this sway that she had, but for me it was beautiful to watch. As a person she was nicknamed smiley, and she was very natural, full of life and had a certain joie de vivre. It was a combination of her personality and musical talent, which was undoubtedly remarkable, which have left an imprint in people’s memories.

I wanted to be very sensitive about how I portrayed MS in the ballet, I didn’t want to make it a pantomime of the condition

How did your mum’s experience of MS influence the work?

I wanted to be very sensitive about how I portrayed MS in the ballet, I didn’t want to make it a pantomime of the condition. I wanted to get a real insight from people who had experience of it and how it actually felt, rather than the scientific facts. Talking to mum was really key and BBC journalist Caroline Wyatt was really helpful as well; she was lovely and incredibly articulate about her experience.

What were some of the challenges of portraying MS?

Jacqueline had relapsing remitting MS and just getting my head around that, because I ask why to most things, was a challenge. Just to grapple with the idea that some days might be bad and then it might just get better for a little bit and then bad again.

What would you like audiences to take away from The Cellist?

I hope they will be moved. It’s not supposed to be a tragic ballet, although there are elements that are tragic as ultimately Jacqueline lost her talent, her voice and her life so young, but I wanted it to be a celebration of the fact she lived. It’s also about identity; so many people lose their identity through illness and various reasons and it’s a story that people can identify with. I hope it also puts people in someone else’s shoes for a while.

How did it feel to create such a personal work?

Mum is so happy I am doing it which feels really good and it’s my way of understanding what’s happening to her too.

What do you think is the importance of raising awareness of MS?

I know mum feels it’s really important. MS is debilitating in many ways, but some people don’t know that they have it for years. Mum was diagnosed with MS quite late in life and then you look back in retrospect and think that might explain that. I think it must feel very frustrating for people who have MS when others don’t know what it is and how it can affect you. And for those with relapsing remitting MS, to get people to understand that you might be fine for a while and then you won’t be fine must be really difficult.

The MS Trust will have an information and awareness stand at the Letchworth Broadway screening of The Cellist on February 25.