English National Ballet Akram Khan’s Giselle
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The iconic ballet, reimagined.
Following acclaimed performances around the world, and sold-out shows in Manchester and Bristol in 2023, Akram Khan’s Giselle returns to Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London for the first time in five years.
As the curtain rises, dancers in shadow push against a forbidding wall. From that moment on, this ground-breaking production stuns with powerful images.
Mesmerising choreography, atmospheric lighting by Mark Henderson and a towering set by Academy Award-winner Tim Yip conjure up a condemned factory and the vengeful ghosts that appear in its shadows.
The ominous score by Vincenzo Lamagna – adapted from the original by Adolphe Adam and performed live by English National Ballet Philharmonic – intensifies the story’s emotional impact.
See the greatest romantic ballet and its story of love, betrayal, and redemption, boldly reimagined.
Find out more about Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Akram Khan here.
Never seen Giselle before? Read the synopsis here (spoilers within).
Find the daily casting for Giselle here
Header image © Laurent Liotardo
It may well rank as a masterpiece of 21st century danceTHE MAIL ON SUNDAY
Ghostly reimagining is a triumph of pure stagecraft★★★★★ EVENING STANDARD
English National Ballet dance this Giselle with total conviction, from Rojo’s stubborn heroine to the driven, driving corps de ballet.★★★★★ INDEPENDENT
From the opening second of Khan’s vital and visceral reworking, the audience is riveted in their seats and ravished mind, body and soul.★★★★★ THE DAILY EXPRESS
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Audience reactions to Akram Khan’s Giselle
“By far the most beautiful and powerful experience I’ve ever had in a theater.”
“Mesmerising, raw, incredibly powerful, with a ferocious tribal energy, great sadness, tenderness, love.”
“Akram Khan’s Giselle in one word… breathtaking! I have never seen an audience so transfixed.”
Akram Khan: Choreographer Conversations on Digital Stage
Through candid discussions filmed in front of a live audience, this series presents some of the creative forces shaping the dance landscape, offering audiences an intimate glimpse into the minds of some of the world’s choreographic visionaries.
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