English National Ballet: Akram Khan’s Giselle

"A triumph” (Evening Standard), “sensational” (The Stage), “staggeringly beautiful and utterly devastating” (The Sunday Express) – critics have hailed Akram Khan’s Giselle as one of the most electrifying and memorable performances of the past decade.

As the curtain rises, dancers in shadow push against a forbidding wall. From that moment on, Akram Khan’s Giselle stuns with powerful images.

This bold re-imagining of the great romantic classic Giselle isn’t just something you watch: it’s something you feel – with every heartbreaking step of the story.

Giselle is part of a community of migrant workers, the Outcasts. A huge wall separates them from the factory Landlords, who have long exploited them. Her lover, Albrecht, joins Giselle’s group – but unknown to her, is in fact a Landlord himself. When the truth is revealed, Giselle’s tragic fate is sealed. She joins the Wilis – the ghosts of women who seek retribution on those who have wronged them. Can Giselle’s love save Albrecht from their vengeance?

Akram Khan’s mesmerising choreography layers the form of classical ballet with intricate nuances and details of classical Indian dance, further enriched by his own contemporary identity.

Atmospheric lighting by Mark Henderson and a towering set by Academy Award-winner Tim Yip (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) 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, is performed live by English National Ballet Philharmonic. Layered with a rumbling soundscape, it weaves and pulsates around the theatre.

Whether seeing Giselle for the first time or making a return visit… this is an experience you won’t forget