La Fille mal gardée
25 September - 26 October 2024 - Birmingham, Plymouth and London
Lise has a choice to make. Loaded country bumpkin or penniless, hunky farmhand? Of course, there’s no contest, but her mum has other ideas. Heels are dug in and sparks fly, as a mother-daughter battle ensues. Hirata and Digman photo: Bill Cooper Mixing spectacular classical ballet with slick comedy, a clog-dancing dame and a super-cute pony, as well as live music by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, this is sure to be fantastic entertainment for you, your friends, and all your family!
BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET’S THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
TO TOUR THE UK IN SPRING 2024
SIR PETER WRIGHT’S CLASSIC STAGING TO TOUR TO SOUTHAMPTON, BIRMINGHAM, SALFORD, SUNDERLAND, PLYMOUTH, BRISTOL AND LONDON 2024 MARKS 40 YEARS OF SIR PETER WRIGHT’S BELOVED PRODUCTION ALINA COJOCARU TO GUEST STAR IN SELECT PERFORMANCES AT LONDON’S SADLER’S WELLS
The 2024 tour of The Sleeping Beauty follows on from the 2023 UK tour of Sir Peter Wright’s Swan Lake - BRB’s most successful spring tour to date, having been seen by over 53,000 people. Last seen on UK stages over six years ago, The Sleeping Beauty continues Birmingham Royal Ballet’s legacy of presenting the acclaimed heritage classics and celebrating the beloved work of its founder, Sir Peter Wright. The Sleeping Beauty is the fourth of Sir Peter Wright’s productions to be presented by the company since autumn 2022, following Coppélia, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. The acclaimed Royal Ballet Sinfonia performs Tchaikovsky’s glorious score live, with designs by Philip Prowse and lighting design by Mark Jonathan. Sir Peter Wright said: “I find it hard to believe that this tour marks the 40th Anniversary of The Sleeping Beauty. This has always been the most opulent of ballets, but Philip Prowse’s incredible design created a unique fairy tale world (with almost 30 fairy character tutus alone!) that allows dancers to really inhabit some of classical ballet’s most famous roles.” Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet Carlos Acosta said “I am thrilled to be reviving Sir Peter Wright’s production of The Sleeping Beauty in the Spring of 2024. The Company is excited to be delighting audiences once more with this definitive version of one of the great classical ballets, welcoming people of all ages to our performances throughout the UK. "I am also honoured that the acclaimed Principal Ballerina, Alina Cojocaru, will be joining the Company for selected performances at London’s Sadler’s Wells, sharing her celebrated interpretation of the role of Princess Aurora."
Black Sabbath – The Ballet
Sat 23 Sep - Sat 21 Oct 2023
Black Sabbath forged their unique sound in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s home city. In Black Sabbath – The Ballet expect a spectacular theatrical evening featuring thrilling dance and original Black Sabbath recordings (including Paranoid and Iron Man) alongside full orchestrations of their work (another first) and original new orchestral compositions inspired by the sound of metal - all performed live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia. In the second of three Birmingham-focussed commissions, Carlos Acosta was drawn to both the band’s work and its musical legacy as the originators of Heavy Metal. This full-evening ballet promises to be a unique undertaking with three composers and three choreographers, led by renowned Choreographer Pontus Lidberg (whose work has been performed by the Swedish Royal Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet) and Composer Chris Austin (whose work includes orchestrating the White Stripes music for Wayne McGregor’s Chroma) working alongside award-winning writer Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer, The Opera) to create an extraordinary metal symphony over three acts. Black Sabbath themselves have been closely involved in developing this unique collaboration. Sparks will undoubtedly fly in this intriguing new response to Black Sabbath’s music and legacy – the first true heavy metal ballet experience. Image: Sofia Liñares. © Perou.
BRB2: CARLOS ACOSTA'SCLASSICAL SELECTION
Sir Peter Wright’s classic production of this timeless ballet returns to Birmingham Hippodrome 30 November - 10 December, 2022 .
THE NUTCRACKER
Friday 17 November - Saturday 9 December, 2023