News Story
Next season sees the return of Sir Peter Wright and Galina Samsova’s perennially popular Swan Lake, one of several celebrations in his 100th year (see also the Sir Peter Wright Centenary event on 18 June). The season opens at Birmingham Hippodrome on 23 September where it will play until 3 October before moving to London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre 28 – 31 October.
The Nutcracker returns to Birmingham Hippodrome from 20 November to 12 December and, in the absence of a Royal Albert Hall run this year, the Company will shift focus entirely to the premiere of The Maiden of Venice in the spring. Following the World Premiere in Birmingham (20 – 27 Feb), today we announce that the production will tour to Theatre Royal Plymouth (11 – 13 March), Sunderland Empire (18 – 20 March), The Lowry, Salford (31 March – 2 April) and Southampton Mayflower (14 – 17 April).
The Maiden of Venice is Carlos Acosta’s groundbreaking reimagining of the 19th-century classic, La Bayadère. The creation of this production is an important development for Birmingham Royal Ballet. The Company has never had a full-length La Bayadère in its repertory and performing it will showcase the virtuosity of the current dancers.
La Bayadère is extremely important in ballet history, not least because of the incredibly beautiful and technically challenging Kingdom of the Shades scene. In recent times, the original narrative has become problematic, in both its themes and its recognised cultural appropriation. By moving the time and place from ancient India to Renaissance Venice, these sensitivities are removed in favour of the universal messages and richness of this precious work of art. This new setting is being brought to life through set and costume designer Anna Fleischle’s stunning designs with lighting design by Lucy Carter and new arrangements of Minkus’s score by Gavin Sutherland.
Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, Carlos Acosta said: ‘I am so thrilled that we will be touring this new production. Since arriving at BRB five years ago I have always had a vision of re-making La Bayadère. It is such an important ballet - to me personally, but also to the sector and to audiences. I understand why it has become problematic, but I feel passionate about not allowing it to be buried or to be, in effect, cancelled. There are so many reasons why moving it to Renaissance Venice works so well for the storytelling, and I am so happy that my company of amazing dancers will have the opportunity to perform this new version.’
