Editing Robert Helpmann (section)

===1940s===
During the [[Second World War]] Sadler's Wells Ballet became a prominent contributor to public morale, giving London seasons interspersed with a demanding programme of provincial tours.<ref>Sorley Walker (1987), p. 233</ref> Helpmann's workload often required him to dance leads in three performances in one day, and when Ashton was called up for active service in 1941,<ref>Anderson, p. 78</ref> Helpmann took on the additional role of choreographer to the company.<ref>Sorley Walker (1987), p. 231</ref>{{refn|As an Australian, Helpmann was not liable for call-up.<ref>Sorley Walker (1987), p. 225</ref>|group=n}} Ashton, in his enforced absence from the company, observed Helpmann's rise to pre-eminence with feelings of envy, and their relationship became edgy on Ashton's part.<ref>Sorley Walker (1998a), pp. 63–64</ref> The ballets that Helpmann created for the wartime company were ''Comus'' (1942, based on [[Comus (Milton)|Milton]]), ''The Birds'' (1942, to [[Ottorino Respighi|Respighi's]] ''[[The Birds (Respighi)|Gli uccelli]]''), ''[[Miracle in the Gorbals]]'' (1944, a story of redemption with a plot by Benthall and music by [[Arthur Bliss]]),<ref>Anderson pp. 310–311</ref> and a version of ''[[Hamlet]]'' set to [[Hamlet (Tchaikovsky)|Tchaikovsky's music]]. While on leave from the [[RAF]] in 1943, Ashton created a new ballet for Helpmann, ''The Quest'', a patriotic tale of [[Saint George]], with music by [[William Walton]], who commented that Helpmann in the lead "looked more like the Dragon than St George."<ref name=cp>[[Palmer, Christopher]] (1990). Notes to Chandos CD 8871 {{oclc|45571357}}</ref> The music has survived but the ballet has not.<ref name=cp/>

{{Quote box |quoted=true  |salign=center | quote = I realised I must keep going so that when the moment came that I should leave the ballet altogether, it wouldn't be such a shock to people, that they shouldn't say, "Oh, just a dancer who's got too old".| source = Helpmann on acting in Shakespeare.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41514376 | jstor=41514376 | title=Robert Helpmann: Interviewed by Ronald Hayman | last1=Helpmann | first1=Robert | last2=Hayman | first2=Ronald | journal=The Transatlantic Review |year=1975 | issue=52 | pages=79–85 }}</ref>| align=left| width=33%}}
Helpmann returned to Hamlet in 1944 in the title role of the original play, with the Old Vic company. After the laudatory reviews for his Oberon, those for his Hamlet were more mixed.  [[Ivor Brown]] thought it "eager, intelligent and exciting",<ref>Brown, Ivor. "Theatre and Life", ''The Observer'', 13 February 1944, p. 2</ref> Agate called Helpmann's prince "most heart-breaking"<ref>''Quoted'' in Howard, p. 122</ref> and the young [[Peter Brook]] found Helpmann's fast-paced performance highly exciting,<ref>Mazer, p. 98</ref> but other critics thought it a lightweight interpretation, and opinions varied about the quality of Helpmann's verse-speaking.<ref>"Hamlet: Mr Tyrone Guthrie's Production", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 14 February 1944, p. 3; and "New Theatre", ''The Times'', 12 February 1944; p. 6</ref> During the war Helpmann played his first film roles: the supercilious traitor De Jong in ''[[One of Our Aircraft is Missing]]'' (1942) and the comically fussy Bishop of Ely in [[Laurence Olivier]]'s ''[[Henry V (1944 film)|Henry V]]'' (1944).<ref>Sorley Walker (1998a), pp. 53 and 69</ref>

At the end of the war [[David Webster (opera manager)|David Webster]] was appointed chief executive of the [[Royal Opera House]], tasked with reopening it for opera and ballet after its wartime closure.<ref>Haltrecht, pp. 51–52</ref> He invited de Valois and her company to base themselves there to complement the new opera company he was setting up.<ref name=h68>Haltrecht, pp. 60 and 68</ref> In due course the companies became [[The Royal Ballet]] and [[The Royal Opera]].<ref>Haltrecht, pp. 210–213 and 303</ref> Helpmann and Fonteyn led the ballet company in the opening gala performance of ''The Sleeping Beauty''.<ref name=h68/> The first new work staged at the reopened house was ''[[Adam Zero]]'' (1946), with a libretto by Benthall and music by Bliss, choreographed by and starring Helpmann as an [[Everyman]] figure.<ref>Haltrecht, p. 73</ref> The work was well received and was revived the following year, but has not held a place in the repertoire.<ref>Sorley Walker (1998b), pp. 251–252</ref><ref>[http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/Production.aspx?production=12948 "Adam Zero"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315203229/http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/production.aspx?production=12948 |date=15 March 2016 }}. Royal Opera House performance archive. Retrieved 27 May 2019</ref>

In 1947, together with Benthall, Helpmann took over the artistic direction of the [[Duchess Theatre]] in the [[West End theatre|West End]] of London.<ref name=who>Gaye, pp. 723–724</ref> They presented a revival of [[John Webster]]'s tragedy ''[[The White Devil]]'' with Helpmann as the villainous Flamineo and Rawlings as his equally villainous sister.<ref>Duchess Theatre, ''The Times'', 7 March 1947, p. 6</ref> This was well received but their next production, a revival of [[Leonid Andreyev]]'s ''He Who Gets Slapped'', quickly folded.<ref name=sw254>Sorley Walker (1998b), p. 254</ref> In the same year Helpmann worked on the film ''[[The Red Shoes (1948 film)|The Red Shoes]]'', which he and [[Leonid Massine]] choreographed and appeared in.<ref name=sw254/> Helpmann joined the [[Royal Shakespeare Company|Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company]] at [[Stratford-upon-Avon]] for the 1948 season, playing the title role in ''[[King John (play)|King John]]'', Shylock in ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' and alternating with [[Paul Scofield]] in a new production of ''Hamlet''.<ref name=who/>