Birmingham Royal Ballet at Sadler's- Shakespeare Triple Bill/The Tempest

In recognition of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, Birmingham Royal Ballet will present a Shakespeare Triple Bill and David Bintley’s new full-length ballet, The Tempest.

Shakespeare Triple Bill is an ode to the drama, characters and sonnets created by the playwright. The works in this varied programme are: The Moor’s Pavane, The Shakespeare Suite and Wink (10th and 11th Oct.)

The Moor’s Pavane, choreographed by José Limón to music by Henry Purcell, premièred in 1949 yet is still considered one of the greatest works of twentieth century dance.

Based on the tragedy Othello, The Moor’s Pavane focuses on the passion, tension and jealousy between noble Othello (The Moor), treacherous Iago (His Friend), innocent Desdemona (The Moor’s Wife) and sensuous Emilia (The Friend’s Wife).

In The Shakespeare Suite audiences can expect to encounter Shakespearean couples of every sort – star-crossed, bewitched, squabbling and romantic – dancing distinctive pas-de-deux, and can and also look forward to a powerhouse solo.

Birmingham Royal Ballet Director David Bintley sets a series of excerpts featuring the likes of Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard III, and Bottom and Titania to a swinging score from jazz legend Duke Ellington.

Completing the line-up is Wink, devised to capture the poetry of Shakespeare’s sonnets.

Created by American choreographer Jessica Lang to music by Jakub Ciupinski, the ballet has five sections – a nod to the five-act structure employed by Shakespeare in his plays.



Meanwhile, in The Tempest, David Bintley conjures Prospero’s magical isle from Shakespeare’s final work (13th, 14th, 15th Oct.).

Boasting theatrical wizardry and stunning designs by War Horse’s Rae Smith, the production is set to a brand new score by acclaimed British composer Sally Beamish.