Who Is The Vivienne?

Who is The Vivienne in real life

What is The Vivienne’s real name? – The Vivienne’s real name, when out of drag, is James Williams. James was in Colwyn Bay, Wales but lives in Liverpool. The Vivienne and Colin Grafton in a previous week on the show. (Image: Matt Frost/ITV/REX/Shutterstock) When discussing the name Vivienne, the drag queen explained: “I love Vivienne Westwood, and when I moved to Liverpool everyone used to call me Vivienne, as I was head to toe in Westwood, so when I started doing drag it was a natural progression, but I didn’t want one of those cheap, nasty, sl***y drag names so I thought of ‘The Vivienne’ and here she is, there’s only one of them.”

Why is The Vivienne called The Vivienne

Career – The Vivienne chose her name because she was known for wearing Vivienne Westwood clothing, adding the definite article to make it unique. She has worked in many Liverpool bars, including Superstar Boudoir, GBar and Heaven. In May 2015, she was crowned the UK Ambassador of RuPaul’s Drag Race,

1. On 21 August 2019, The Vivienne was announced as one of the ten contestants to be competing in the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK,
2. In September 2019, she participated in Jag Race, a racing competition in collaboration with Jaguar Cars, and raced for Sahir House, a charity based in her hometown of Liverpool that provides a space in which people can speak freely without fear of prejudice, stigma, abuse or exploitation in relation to HIV,

In November 2019, she was crowned the first winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, In November to December 2019, The Vivienne, alongside the cast of the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK embarked on a tour hosted by Drag Race alum Alyssa Edwards, In December 2019, The Vivienne alongside fellow RuPaul’s Drag Race UK contestant Baga Chipz began starring in Morning T&T on WOW Presents Plus,

The show saw The Vivienne and Baga Chipz reprise their Snatch Game impersonations of Donald Trump and Margaret Thatcher respectively, to host a fictional television news show, and consisted of six episodes as of January 2020. At DragCon UK in January 2020 an additional episode was filmed with The Vivienne and Baga appearing as themselves.

Guests on the web series included fellow Drag Race UK alumni Sum Ting Wong as Queen Elizabeth II and Cheryl Hole as Gemma Collins, In March 2020, World of Wonder announced six-part series The Vivienne Takes on Hollywood, documenting The Vivienne travelling to Los Angeles in order to make a music video.

The show premiered on BBC Three on 9 April, and simultaneously started streaming on WOW Presents Plus. The same month, The Vivienne, once again alongside Baga Chipz, started presenting the UK version of I Like to Watch, a web series produced by Netflix in which they humorously review Netflix programming.

In July 2020, The Vivienne voiced as Donald Trump in the BBC Three documentary Trump in Tweets, She was one of the four competitors who appeared in the special Christmas edition of The Great British Sewing Bee that was transmitted on New Year’s Eve 2020 on BBC One,

In June 2021, The Vivienne made a guest appearance as herself in the ITV soap opera, Emmerdale, In January 2022, The Vivienne starred in Channel 4’s Celebrity Hunted, in aid of Stand Up to Cancer, In April 2022, The Vivienne was announced as part of the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, whereby former winners of the franchise returned for the title of “Queen of All Queens”.

In October 2022, she was announced to be competing in the fifteenth series of ITV ice-skating reality show, Dancing on Ice, setting her to be the first drag artist to participate in the show. On 12 March 2023, The Vivienne finished in third place. In June 2023, The Vivienne presented to award for “Scene of the Year” at the 2023 British Soap Awards,

Is The Vivienne still with David?

EXCLUSIVE: The Vivienne SPLITS from husband David Ludford as they admit that ‘life got in the way’ – following the drag queen’s successful Dancing On Ice stint – Published: 15:34 BST, 14 April 2023 | Updated: 01:36 BST, 18 April 2023 The Vivienne has split from their husband David Ludford after five and a half years together, MailOnline can reveal. The RuPaul ‘s Drag Race star, 30 who recently came third on Dancing On Ice, has admitted that ‘life got in the way’ of the relationship.

After beginning their relationship in 2017, the former couple tied the knot back in 2019 in a lavish flower-filled ceremony at G-A-Y’s Heaven nightclub in London. In a statement released to MailOnline, David and The Vivienne, real name James Lee Williams, explained that they would remain friends. They shared: ‘As many may have noticed, David and I have been apart recently.

We have made the decision to part ways after an amazing 5 and half years. Watch RuPaul’s Drag Race available now only on Stan, It’s over: The Vivienne SPLITS from husband David as they admit that ‘life got in the way’ – following the drag queen’s successful Dancing On Ice stint Long-term: After beginning their relationship in 2017, the former couple tied the knot back in 2019 in a lavish flower-filled ceremony at G-A-Y’s Heaven nightclub in London ‘We are still very much friends, but sometimes life gets in the way and people grow apart.

Concluding: ‘We wish each the absolute best and will always be part of each other’s lives. We’d ask that you please respect our privacy at this time. Thank you. James and David’. David is the owner of a company which sells wigs for drag queens, named Drag Helmet. Whilst The Vivienne rose to fame in 2019 by winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, later returning to compete in the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars in 2022.

It is not known when the couple decided to call it quits, with David’s last post mentioning his husband in January, when he headed to support them on Dancing On Ice. But with less social media posts and public appearances, fans have been speculating a split in recent weeks.

1. The glamourous grooms were the first couple to tie the knot at G-A-Y’s Heaven nightclub – after the venue was granted permission to host weddings that same year.
2. But The Vivienne has had a particularly busy 2023 since kicking off the new year as a contestant on Dancing On Ice, being the first ever Drag Queen on the show.

And winning the hearts of both the judges and the public, the star placed third on the show. Since the apperance, The Vivienne’s profile has been heightened – with more TV opportunities arising, including a celebrity version of The Chase. Pals: In a statement released to MailOnline, David and The Vivienne, real name James Lee Williams, explained that they would remain friends Before meeting their husband and rising to fame on RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Vivienne battled addiction issues.

• Recently sharing the story, the star shared how they decided to move to Gran Canaria six years ago after getting addicted to drugs while working in Liverpool’s club scene.
• Revealing to being hospitalised three times in one month amid drug struggles, they added that medics even feared for their life.
• The Vivienne, whose stage name is inspired by late designer Vivienne Westwood, said ketamine was their ‘breakfast, lunch and dinner’ at the height of the addiction.

They told The Mirror : ‘I could have three bags of it just putting my face on, I did it on and off for four years, I was getting evicted from apartments, I had no money.’ Adding that it was moving to Gran Canaria in 2017 and meeting now-ex husband David Ludford that changed their life.

Is the Vivian still married

Dancing On Ice’s The Vivienne announces split from husband after three years The pair married less than three years ago, but the Drag Race UK winner, real name James Lee Williams, has confirmed he and David have gone their separate ways after five years together Dancing On Ice’s The Vivienne confirms split from husband David after three years

• star The Vivienne has confirmed she has split from her husband David Ludford.
• The pair married less than three years ago, but the Drag Race UK winner, real name James Lee Williams, has confirmed the pair have gone their separate ways, after five years together.
• Writing on, The Vivienne said: “As many may have noticed, David and I have been apart recently.

“We have made the decision to part ways after an amazing 5 and a half years. We are still very much friends, but sometimes life gets in the way and people grow apart.” The Vivienne continued: “We wish each the absolute best and will always be part of each others lives.

• We’d ask that you please respect our privacy at this time.
• Thank you.
• James and David.” The Vivienne and David have split ( DAILY MIRROR) The Vivienne rose to fame on Drag Race ( PA) Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne went on to ask fans for privacy ‘at this time’.
• Fans and friends took to the comment section to share their support for the Drag Race star.

“So sorry to hear and available to take you out for dinner whenever you are free!!,” Vanessa Feltz, who split from her longterm partner earlier this year, wrote.

1. Drag Queens Cheryl Hole and Bimini Bon Boulash posted hearts and flower emojis.
2. In December 2019, The Vivienne and David tied the knot at a magical event.

They got married in 2019

• The event was held at London’s famous gay club, Heaven, which was granted permission earlier this year to host weddings, as part of celebrations of the location’s 40th anniversary.
• James and David were the first couple to tie the knot at the iconic venue, which was transformed with trees and floral decorations into a stunningly decorated wedding hall for the day.

At the time, James wrote: “This has been the most amazing day. I cannot thanks @Jeremy_Joseph (club owner) enough. You’ve made it amazing.”

1. Throughout RuPaul’s Drag Race filming, The Vivienne had opened up about finding love after a difficult time dealing with addiction.
2. The Scouse star spoke candidly on the show about the support David had given, and the pair continued to grow closer in their relationship as he battled for the Drag Race crown against finalists Baga Chipz and Divina de Campo.
3. * Follow Mirror Celebs on,, and,

You can find this story in Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. : Dancing On Ice’s The Vivienne announces split from husband after three years

What drugs was The Vivienne addicted to

Dancing on Ice’s The Vivienne took huge pay cut and left UK to battle addiction Exclusive: The Vivienne has recalled how she previously battle addiction issues that saw medics fear she would die, with the Dancing On Ice finalist crediting some time away from the UK with helping her get clean Dancing on Ice: The Vivienne opens the show with Cher tribute

• Millions gasped as star The Vivienne took a dramatic tumble during her solo skate on Sunday night’s show, leaving her fearing she would be knocked out of the competition.
• But the 30-year-old – the first to appear on the programme – got back on her feet and glided into this weekend’s final.
• It’s not the first time she has picked herself up in the face of adversity.
• Six years ago, she made a make-or-break move to Gran Canaria after getting hooked on drugs while working in Liverpool’s club scene.

Medics feared she could die from her addiction to ketamine after she was hospitalised three times in a month. It left The Vivienne, who is called James Lee Williams out of drag, vowing to change. “Some guys I knew from Gran Canaria. asked me to do a gig in Pride,” recalled The Vivienne.

2. “I did it, I was there for a week and I felt like myself and I hadn’t touched anything for a week.”
3. Kevin Kirby, manager of Liverpool venue Superstar Boudoir, says he was aware of The Vivienne’s drug problems while she was one of his top DJs, but adds it never affected her work.

Kevin, 52, was sad when his pal, who he calls Viv, decided to move abroad. He says: “She said she was going there to sort herself out. I told her I didn’t want her to go, but I respected the reasons why she was going. “She had to leave the scene at the time when she did otherwise she wouldn’t have been where she is now.

The Dancing On Ice finalist with husband David ( DAILY MIRROR) The Vivienne is loved-up with husband David ( DAILY MIRROR) “She took a massive pay cut to go over there, was able to sort herself out and there’s been no stopping her since.” On RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, the reality show The Vivienne won in 2019, she said she had been clean for two years, but described ketamine, which causes hallucinations and can lead to chronic bladder problems, as her “breakfast, lunch and dinner” while in the throes of her addiction.

She added: “I could have three bags of it just putting my face on. I did it on and off for four years. I was getting evicted from apartments, I had no money.” The Vivienne sought help from an centre in Liverpool. But it was the 2017 move to Gran Canaria and meeting future husband David Ludford that fully changed her life.

1. The Vivienne with bar owner Kevin ( DAILY MIRROR) The star won the first ever series of Drag Race UK ( BBC / World of Wonde / Guy Levy) After arriving on the Spanish island, The Vivienne took a job at Sparkles Show Bar in Las Palmas, quickly becoming one of its top drag queens.
2. Show team manager Tony Oliver, 52, says: “She wanted to have a break from Liverpool because she wanted to get away from the drugs, so asked if she could come out for a year and work with us.

“She really mucked in and was fabulous. She did hosting and all the customers loved her. The Vivienne was born to be on the stage.” It was at Sparkles that The Vivienne, who also did a comedy act, doing impressions, met David. The venue’s now-owner Brandon Davis, who was a waiter with David, says The Vivienne’s Dancing On Ice exploits are a surprise.

Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne will perform in the Dancing on Ice final. ( ITV) “She wasn’t much of a dancer” says Brandon, 25, with a laugh. “Her and David were so much fun to be around. It was sad when they left.” When David and The Vivienne married in London in 2019, the wedding cake was designed by Bake Off and Strictly star John Whaite.

Born in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, The Vivienne attended the prestigious Rydal Penrhos School, where fees cost up to £16,200 a year. She recalled: “I came out quite early. Humour was my defence at school. I wasn’t bullied, because I was the funny kid. “I’d turn up with a Louis Vuitton bag.

Often my accessories would be confiscated. It wasn’t all bad. I was outside the headmaster’s office and another teacher told me I looked fabulous.” The Vivienne wanted to be a lawyer but changed tack after developing make-up skills. The Vivienne has a lot of fans cheering her on ahead of this weekend’s final ( PA) The Drag Race UK champion is hoping to win another reality TV series ( Matt Frost/ITV/REX/Shutterstock) She left school at 16, moving to Liverpool to work on the make-up counter in Debenhams.

The Vivienne, named after designer Vivienne Westwood, then found her calling, saying: “I saw some drag queens at a club and was stunned. I knew immediately that was what I wanted to do.” At first, she performed Cher impressions under her real name James.

• Then, while working on bar doors – being paid £30 and a bottle of alcopop a night – she got her break performing lip sync tracks and comedy routines on stage.
• Kevin says: “There was always something that made me think, ‘She’s going to go on to bigger and better things’.”
• The dark years followed before The Vivienne’s escape to Gran Canaria.
• After her next big step on Drag Race in 2019, she has appeared on shows such as The Great British Sewing Bee.

Tony says: “We were so proud of her. She set the bar high and has done so much for UK drag.” The Vivienne’s friends describe her as remaining very humble. Tony says: “She’s been back to Gran Canaria a few times to see everyone and she’s lovely.” Kevin says: “Even now she comes in to see us whenever she’s in Liverpool and it’s just the same Viv.” On The Vivienne’s feats on Dancing On Ice, where she is partnered with pro skater Colin Grafton, Kevin adds: “She’s proved drag isn’t just putting lippie on.

1. It’s proper entertainment.
2. I think Viv can win.
3. We’ll all be cheering her on.” * The Dancing On Ice final – also featuring TOWIE star Joey Essex with Vanessa Bauer, and Olympic gymnast Nile Wilson with Olivia Smart – is on Sunday at 6.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
4. You can find this story in Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.

: Dancing on Ice’s The Vivienne took huge pay cut and left UK to battle addiction

Who is the Vivian’s husband

The Vivienne has announced her break up (Picture: Rex/Instagram) The Vivienne has split from their husband David Ludford after almost six years together, they confirmed in a joint statement. The RuPaul’s Drag Race star, who recently finished third in the ITV competition Dancing On Ice, referenced that the couple had ‘drifted apart’ but remain friends, while also asking for privacy.

Confirming their separation in a post on Instagram, The Vivienne said: ‘As many may have noticed, David and I have been apart recently. We have made the decision to part ways after an amazing 5 and half years. ‘We are still very much friends, but sometimes life gets in the way and people grow apart. We wish each the absolute best and will always be part of each others lives.

‘We’d ask that you please respect our privacy at this time. Thank you. James and David.’ (sic) The Dancing On Ice star confirmed her split in a joint statement posted on Instagram (Picture: Instagram) The Vivienne and David had been together for nearly six years (Picture: Instagram) In a separate comment, The Vivienne clarified that her break up has nothing to do with her Dancing On Ice partner, Colin Grafton. They added: ‘And just everybody knows as I’m already seeing tweets. They tied the knot in a lavish ceremony held at Heaven nightclub in 2019 (Picture: Instagram) The Vivienne maintained that their break up has nothing to do with their Dancing On Ice partner Colin Grafton (Picture: Rex) She wrote: ‘So sorry to hear and available to take you out for dinner whenever you are free!! ⭐️⭐️’ The Vivienne and David had been in a relationship since October 2017, with the pair going on to marry at London’s Heaven nightclub in 2019.

Is The Vivienne a man or woman Dancing On Ice

Drag queen The Vivienne made her debut on ITV’s Dancing on Ice as the competition kicked off for 2023. The 30-year-old has made Dancing on Ice history by being the first drag queen to perform on the show.

What gender is the name Vivienne?

Vivien – Baby Name Meaning, Origin and Popularity Popularity: 3250 Origin: Latin If there’s one thing guaranteed about baby, they’re bound to be a lively addition to your household! Vivien, meaning “lively,” is of Latin origin. Traditionally a girl’s name, it is considered a modern gender-neutral name that works for boys and girls alike.

1. Alternative spellings include Vivian and Vivienne.
2. The most famous bearer of this energetic name is visionary fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.
3. No doubt your baby boy or girl will be a creative force who colors every aspect of your world! Not sure you have the perfect name? to add more baby names to your My Favorites list.

: Vivien – Baby Name Meaning, Origin and Popularity

How did The Vivienne lose weight

The Vivienne is appearing on The Chase Celebrity Special tonight on ITV1 (Sunday, March 19) – and viewers might notice she looks a little different. Bradley Walsh hosts the show as the RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner joins Jayde Adams, Tony Cottee and Naughty Boy to pit their wits against one of the ruthless Chasers in the hope of winning a potential prize pot worth thousands of pounds for charity.

The Vivienne recently shared her dramatic weight loss after competing on Dancing on Ice. She explained she is in the “best shape” after competing in the hit ITV ice-skating competition. The Vivienne came third, finishing behind TOWIE star Joey Essex and show winner Olympic gymnast Nile Wilson, The Vivienne, whose real name is James Lee Williams, took to Twitter to flaunt her transformation.

Leaving little to the imagination whilst rocking a towel, she revealed she had lost two stone. Leaving her abdomen exposed, the 30-year-old captioned the post: “2 and a bit stone down (30 pounds) I will carry on skating forever! “Best shape I’ve ever been in and feel so comfortable in my own skin.” The Vivienne has previously spoken out about her addiction to drugs.

Who is Jinkx monsoon husband?

Who wins RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 1

From 10 queens, there could only be one winner. Season 1 of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK ended with a massive condragulations to The Vivienne, The first queen to take the title in the UK; she got to don Ru’s Crown and Sceptre, as well as winning her own digital series with the producers of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Is the Vivian a male

History and variants – The Latin name Vivianus is recorded from the 1st century. It is ultimately related to the adjective vivus “alive”, but it is formed from the compound form vivi- and the adjectival -ānus suffix used to form cognomina, The latinate given name Vivianus was of limited popularity in the medieval period in reference to Saint Vivianus, a 5th-century bishop of Saintes ; the feminine name was that of Saint Viviana (Bibiana), a 4th-century martyr whose veneration in Rome is ascertained for the 5th century.

In Arthurian legend, Vivian in its various spellings is one of the names of the Lady of the Lake, The name was brought to England with the Norman invasion, and is occasionally recorded in England in the 12th and 13th centuries. The masculine given name appears with greater frequency in the early modern period,

The spelling Vivian was historically used only as a masculine name, and is still used as such in the UK with this spelling, but in the 19th century was also given to girls and was a unisex name until the early part of the 20th century; since the mid 20th century, it has been almost exclusively given as a feminine name in the United States.

• Use of Vivian as a feminine name peaked in popularity in the United States in 1920 at rank 64, but declined in the second half of the 20th century, falling below rank 500 in the 1980s.
• Its popularity has again picked up somewhat since the 1990s, as of 2012 having attained rank 140.
• Variants of the feminine name include Viviana, Viviane, and Vivienne.

The French feminine spelling Vivienne in the United States rose sharply in recent years from below rank 1,000 (no statistical record) to rank 322 in the period 2009–2012. The Italian or Latin form Viviana has enjoyed some popularity since the 1990s, reaching rank 322 in 2000.

The spelling Vivien is the French masculine form, but in English speaking countries it has long been used as a feminine form, due to its appearance as the name of the Arthurian Lady of the Lake in Tennyson ‘s Idylls of the King of 1859. For the masculine name, the variant Vyvyan has sometimes been used, based on the Cornish surname itself derived from the given name.

The intermediary form Vyvian is also occasionally found. The Gaelic name Ninian has sometimes been identified as a corruption of Vivian, but it is now considered more likely derived from Welsh Nynniaw, which is itself of uncertain origin, but likely renders Nennius,

Is the Vivian sober?

The Vivienne has told how she left the UK drag scene to recover from her drug addiction, before making a triumphant return. The ‘Dancing on Ice’ star – whose real name is James Lee Williams – moved from Liverpool to Gran Canaria to get sober after hitting the party scene too hard.

Did Prince use Oxycontin?

Investigation says Prince was isolated, addicted and in pain MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — After Prince had to be revived from a drug overdose a week before his death, one friend told the musical superstar that he needed to stop taking painkillers. But Prince said he couldn’t — his hands hurt so much that if he quit, he’d have to stop performing.

• This piano tour I think was getting to his hands,” singer Judith Hill told investigators, according to a transcript of her interview.
• Those words, found amid hundreds of pages of interviews between investigators and Prince’s closest confidants, provide insight into just how much the man known for his energetic performances and larger-than-life personality was suffering.

The documents open parts of Prince’s life that the intensely-private celebrity tried to keep from even his closest confidants. “How did he hide this so well?” Prince’s closest friend and bodyguard Kirk Johnson said in an interview with detectives. While Johnson said he didn’t realize that opioids were a problem until that overdose, he had noticed Prince was unwell before that and took him to a doctor.

• In their zeal to protect Prince’s privacy, Carver County Attorney Mark Metz said some of the singer’s friends might have enabled him.
• Prince was 57 when he was found alone and unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park studio compound in suburban Minneapolis on April 21, 2016.
• An autopsy found he died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin.

Authorities say it is likely Prince didn’t know he was taking the dangerous drug, which was laced in counterfeit pills made to look like a generic version of the painkiller Vicodin. The source of those pills is unknown and no one has been charged in Prince’s death.

• Authorities say Dr.
• Michael Todd Schulenberg admitted that he prescribed another drug, oxycodone, under Johnson’s name to protect Prince’s privacy.
• Schulenberg disputes that, but paid $30,000 to settle allegations the drug was prescribed illegally.
• Privacy is a theme in interviews with investigators.
• Joshua Welton, who co-produced some of Prince’s work, and Hannah Welton, the drummer in the Prince-created band 3rdEyeGirl, said they were like Prince’s family.

Joshua Welton described Prince’s inner circle at the time of his death as “very, very, very, very, very tight” — including Johnson, assistant Meron Bekure and the Weltons. He said he had seen little of Prince’s sister, Tyka Nelson, in recent years. “He’s made comments like you guys are more family to me than my blood relatives,” Welton said.

Johnson and Hill were on Prince’s plane when he overdosed on the way back from an April 14, 2016, concert in Atlanta. Hill said that Prince told her he was depressed, enjoyed sleeping more than usual and was incredibly bored. He told her after his show that he thought he was going to fall asleep on stage.

The plane made an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois, and after Johnson carried Prince from the plane “like you would carry a little kid or a baby,” paramedics had to use two doses of a medicine that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. When Prince took a large gasp of air and woke up, he looked at Johnson without saying anything and Johnson told paramedics, “Prince feels fine,” according to documents.

At the hospital, Prince refused medical tests. He told Hill that he had just mixed two pills — that he was a good judge of his body and wouldn’t do it again. But when she told him “no more pills right?” he wouldn’t agree. “He said something like well then that means I can’t perform because my hands are hurting.

My hands hurt,” according to a transcript of her interview with investigators. Investigative materials released Thursday include several other interviews, documents, photos and videos. There are pictures of pills that were found in various bottles in several different rooms.

• Authorities have said many of those pills were not in their proper containers, and many were counterfeit.
• The documents include interviews with Schulenberg and Prince’s inner circle, including Johnson, who told investigators he had noticed Prince “looking just a little frail,” but said he did not realize he had an opioid addiction until the overdose on the plane.

After that, Johnson said he and others reached out to an addiction specialist. But Johnson had initially contacted Schulenberg, his own doctor, to treat Prince in the fall of 2015. Schulenberg told investigators that Johnson texted him on April 7, 2016, saying Prince was complaining of numbness and tingling in one of his legs and in his hands and had vomited the night before.

Schulenberg prescribed some medications under Johnson’s name and gave Prince an IV, according to documents. Schulenberg asked Prince if he was taking anything for his hands and Prince said yes, but “did not know what it was,” documents show. Johnson also called Schulenberg on the day of the Atlanta concert before the flight on which Prince overdosed and asked the doctor to give Prince a painkiller.

Authorities say Schulenberg did so, under Johnson’s name. Johnson contacted Schulenberg again on April 18, and expressed concern that Prince was struggling with opioids. Schulenberg last treated Prince the night before he died, conducting a urinalysis that tested positive for opioids.

Is Anna Karenina addicted to morphine

Eifman Ballet – Anna Karenina – Hong Kong Eifman Ballet in Anna Karenina,© Hana Kudryashova. (Click image for larger version) Eifman Ballet Of St Petersburg Anna Karenina Hong Kong, Cultural Centre Grand Theatre 19 October 2013 A version of this review previously appeared in the South China Morning Post Eifman Ballet made a triumphant return to Hong Kong with one of choreographer/artistic director Boris Eifman’s most successful ballets, Anna Karenina.

1. The company is a perennial favourite with the Hong Kong audience, so much so that an extra show had to be added – a rare accolade in a community where the arts are mostly low on the agenda.
2. Anna Karenina did not disappoint the fans.
3. Quintessential Eifman packed with athletic choreography, striking theatrical effects and superb dancing, it makes gripping entertainment if not high art.

Eifman has jettisoned the sub-plots and philosophical aspects of Tolstoy’s novel to focus on the central story. Anna Karenina falls in love with dashing cavalry officer Vronsky and eventually runs off with him, abandoning her husband, Karenin and small son.

• After initial happiness the affair falls apart – and while Vronsky returns to his old life, Anna will always be an outcast.
• Having lost her lover, her child and her place in society and now addicted to morphine, Anna commits suicide by throwing herself under a train.
• In terms of dance Eifman, as always, makes huge demands on the technique and stamina of his dancers and they respond nobly.

Anna’s pas de deux with Karenin and Vronsky are filled with spectacular acrobatics and the ensembles for the corps de ballet are almost equally difficult. Some of the choreography is outstanding, notably the final scene where the evocation of the fatal train by the corps is brilliantly done.

Other memorable moments include the scene where Anna and Vronsky, in separate places, echo the same moves as they express their longing for each other, and the lively drinking sequence in the officers’ barracks. Eifman Ballet in Anna Karenina,© Hana Kudryashova. (Click image for larger version) On the downside, the choreography is too busy – every time Anna goes near either her husband or her lover they promptly embark on a series of death-defying lifts which, however thrilling, tell us more about the dancers’ physical prowess than the characters’ psychological development.

There is a lack of contrast – the eye begins to crave moments of stillness to punctuate the relentless pace. The Hieronymus Bosch-like sequence where a leotard-clad Anna is tormented in a morphine-induced delirium is powerful in itself but jars with the rest – we seem to have jumped into another ballet.

Dramatically, Eifman give us a graphic novel/manga version of Tolstoy which has both the strengths and the weaknesses of that approach. The critical moments of the story are portrayed to great effect through a series of vivid scenes which stand out in the mind. At the same time, the plot is so tightly telescoped (into two acts of 45 minutes each) that it feels rushed, and too many links are missing.

Above all, the ballet fails to convey the complexity and emotional depth of Tolstoy’s characters and their relationships. Admittedly no easy feat to pull off in dance, this isn’t impossible – think of works like Jardin aux Lilas, Month in the Country or Mayerling.

However, sublety has never been Eifman’s middle name and nuance is not his nature. He has a real gift for creating leitmotif movements to convey what his people are thinking, but character roles are non-existent – in an Eifman ballet, everybody has to dance. The pitfalls of this are illustrated by the portrayal of Karenin – instead of a stuffy official 20 years older than his wife, we have yet another tall, blonde principal with a big jump and strong partnering skills.

This undermines the sense of the story and weakens our sympathy for Anna. Eifman Ballet in Anna Karenina,© Hana Kudryashova. (Click image for larger version) Vyacheslav Okunev’s costumes are excellent, particularly the gorgeous gowns for Anna. The Tchaikovsky score is a well-chosen selection of the composer’s greatest hits (although here marred by hideously tinny sound – a black mark to whoever was responsible).

The performance of the evening was Oleg Gabyshev’s Vronsky, magnificently danced and passionately acted. In the title role Nina Zmievets danced with astounding strength and fearlessness but failed to move me – she came over as too strong a character to be convincing as this hapless heroine. Oleg Markov was a fine Karenin and the corps performed with inexhaustible energy and commitment.

: Eifman Ballet – Anna Karenina – Hong Kong