During late 1982, some members of The Royal Ballet approached Robert Smith after they’d seen THE CURE performing on 'The Pornography' tour. They were looking for a band that could play modern music with an atmospheric edge to it. The idea was a stage show that would merge classical dance movements with the 'contemporary' music, and in which both conventional classical, orchestral instruments and modern, electronic ones would be used.
Smith accepted and started scoring allegedly an adaptation of Jean Cocteau’s 'Les Enfants Terribles' that was supposed to be divided in three parts and by June of that year, he’d already written the two of them, but found it hard going on.
"I’ll have to finish it in my sleep with all the things I’ve got coming up" Smith quoted in an interview with Dave Rimmer for UK magazine Smash Hits (issue October 29, 1983).
So, the project never came to fruition but while still in the making process, as a foretaste of it, THE CURE appeared on 'Riverside' BBC2 TV programme performing their song "Siamese Twins" (from their 'Pornography' album) with Steven Severin of SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES on bass (in the place of original member Simon Gallup who had temporarily left THE CURE after falling out with Robert Smith) and Lol (real name Laurence) Tolhurst on keyboards.
Strings provided here by THE VENOMETTES that is Anne Stephenson & Virginia Hewes (aka Ginni Ball) while the dancing is choreographed by Nicolas Dixion of Royal Ballet and performed by Sharon (aka Elizabeth) MacGorian & Stephen Beagley in front of Dorothy Williams as the old lady. Costumes by Michael Pavelka.
Michael Pavelka: "Sharon was wearing my Grandmother’s pleated 1940’s black skirt. It moved so perfectly… and I’ve still got it!" (posted on his official site on March 1st, 2014)
Steven Severin: "March 83. Just returned from Japan/Oz/Nz tour - finishing up 'Blue Sunshine' (as The Glove)- The Cure did not exist at this point but this Royal ballet collaboration was a prior commitment so Robert asked me to stand in. 'The Walk' was still 3 months away and the success of that single would change everything forever. PS: I am not me, I am a SevBot." (posted on TheBansheesAndOtherCreatures FB page on September 4th, 2014)
In fact the performance was filmed on Sunday 31st January 1983 (tbc), prior to The Banshees tour in Japan and was aired a week later, on Sunday 07 February 1983.
