Retiring Daily Mail critic remembers a temperamental Nureyev

ByGramilano Reading Time: 1 minute

Rudolf Nureyev Allan Warren“I did not always have such amiable relations with the notoriously temperamental .

I had been commissioned to write the biography of ballerina Dame Beryl Grey, then artistic director of London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet), and as a result was given unprecedented access to the company, including watching Nureyev create his opulent new production of The .

When I attempted to interview the fiery Russian in his dressing room after one turbulent afternoon rehearsal session, he flung his jockstrap at me shouting: ‘Big interview finished!’

When we next met, a smile of recognition flashed across those chiselled Tartar features. ‘I remember you,’ he said. ‘You are the dresser for  Festival Ballet!’ It was as much of an apology as I was likely to get.”

via Opera critic David Gilliard retires from Daily Mail

Photo: Nureyev in 1973, © Allan Warren

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Graham Spicer, aka 'Gramilano', is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.

Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.

He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.

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