Kenneth MacMillan choreographed his last ballet, The Judas Tree, especially for Irek Mukhamedov who takes the lead in this striking production. On a building site in dockland wastes, thirteen workmen, led by their Foreman, react to the vampish behaviour of a woman who has arrived in their midst. In the heated confusion of the group, one man stands alone in the tenderness of his response. Gradually the dark underside of male sexuality and the power of peer pressure are exposed as the ballet sucks us into a web of betrayal, loss and terror.
La Fille mal gardée
Frederick Ashton’s delightful ballet has proved irresistible to audiences of all ages and The Royal Ballet’s production has immediate appeal for newcomers to ballet as well as for those who return time and again to enjoy its lyrical comedy. It is a ballet set in the English countryside, telling how Lise manages to win the hand of the man she loves – the young farmer, Colas – despite her mother’s determination to marry her off to the dim-witted son of a wealthy vineyard owner. This is one of the great masterpieces of The Royal Ballet’s repertory, created by Frederick Ashton, set amid the witty designs of Osbert Lancaster, with Hérold’s delightful melodies to inspire the performances by some of the Company’s leading artists.