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Home , Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Royal Ballet, John Cranko, John Lanchbery, Momoko Hirata

2015 –16 Season

at home in Birmingham

As we open our 25th season in Among the year’s highlights: Birmingham, we thank you for l We present Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, your continuing welcome in the which was included in the Company’s first City. Your support is what keeps performance in 1990, as part of a joyful triple bill us going, so we’re delighted to this autumn. announce this sparkling new season dedicated to the City of l , created as a gift to the City of Birmingham. Birmingham, turns 25 as it returns for Christmas.

l Our year-long 2016 Dancing We believe that no other theatrical celebration of Shakespeare Shakespeare experience can match the artistry begins with ’s and spectacle of Birmingham witty take on A Midsummer Night's Dream. Royal Ballet: 60 dancers from around the world, living and l New (and new to us) ballets by Jessica Lang and working full-time in the City; the José Limón arrive in summer. Royal Ballet Sinfonia, the Come and celebrate ballet and Birmingham with us country’s only ballet-specialist this season! orchestra, accompanying each performance; the scale and quality of our productions, ranging from beloved full-length classics to one- act gems. , Director New-look subscription packages

Our subscription packages have been remodelled this year to oer a choice of xed-date packages of six or three productions, or a design-your-own package of four or more productions.

Book your subscription package now and you can include additional individual tickets for any of the shows before they go on public sale.

For full package details, see the back of this brochure.

Full Season package Mixed Bills package

Three story ballets and three The three mixed-bill sparkling mixed bills, for one programmes of the season: affordable price. the Variations triple bill, Ashton double bill and Secure your seat, keep it for Shakespeare triple bill. the whole year, and have first dibs to renew it next season.

Story Ballet package Design-Your-Own pa ckage

Includes , Romeo Select four or more and Juliet and The Taming of productions and save 10%. the Shrew . See only those ballets you want and get tickets before they are available to the general public.

The Christmas ballet is no longer included in subscription packages, but can be added to your order at full price and purchased on priority before the general public. Ballet’s greatest love story returns By a moonlit lake, a grieving prince in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s witnesses the transformation of a swan into a beautiful princess. Compelled by an evil lavish production. This romantic spell to spend her days in the form of a bird, fable of ill-fated passion, she can only be saved by the power of love. powerfully illuminated by Filled with exquisite ensembles, lyrical Tchaikovsky’s legendary score, has pas de deux , and bravura solos, this bewitched viewers for generations. Swan Lake is atmospheric, romantic, and beautiful – an unforgettable experience. Swan Lake

28 September – ‘O ne of the world’s 6 October 2015

Music finest productions Choreography , and Production Peter Wright and Galina of the ballet ’ The Observer Samsova Designs Philip Prowse Lighting Peter Teigen

Cover and above: Céline Gittens as Odette and Tyrone Singleton as With Royal Ballet Sinfonia, conducted by Siegfried; photos: Roy Smiljanic, Andrew Ross, Bill Cooper Paul Murphy and Philip Ellis Variations Triple bill

8 – 10 October 2015

Join us as we celebrate 25 years in Birmingham with three contrasting ballets that showcase the company’s extraordinary range: classical, abstract and characterfully English.

Joyful and grand, Theme and Variations awards) is an athletic piece danced to a (which launched the Company’s 1990 pulsing, hypnotic score by Phil Kline. And season) is ’s love letter to , an elegant and eccentric classical Russian ballet, set to the final character ballet, is Frederick Ashton’s movement of Tchaikovsky’s Orchestral Suite poignant depiction of and No.3. Abstract ballet Kin. by former his friends.

Company dancer Alexander Whitley (twice Theme and Variations: and César Morales; nominated for Critics’ Circle National Dance photo: Bill Cooper

THEME AND VARIATIONS KIN. ENIGMA VARIATIONS Music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Music Phil Kline Music Edward Elgar Choreography George Balanchine Choreography Alexander Whitley Choreography Frederick Ashton © The George Balanchine Trust Designs Jean-Marc Puissant Designs Julia Trevelyan Oman Designs Peter Farmer Lighting Peter Teigen Lighting Mark Jonathan Lighting Peter Teigen With Royal Ballet Sinfonia, conducted by Paul Murphy and Philip Ellis Dancin g Shakespeare

In this programme of one-act ballets, Ashton we focus on works by one of ’s Double bill most inuential choreographers, Sir Frederick Ashton, and his deft hand at characterisation and narrative through dance.

In , love gets out of hand for mortals and fairies alike in an elegant and witty distillation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Created in 1964 to mark Shakespeare’s birthday, The Dream kicks off Birmingham Royal Ballet’s year-long commemoration of 400 years since his death. Alongside it, we offer A Month in the Country , inspired by Turgenev’s play. The story of a bored housewife, a charming young man, and a dreaming girl makes a poignant romantic tale.

The Dream: Matthew Lawrence as Oberon; photo: Bill Cooper

17 – 20 February 2016

THE DREAM A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY Music Music Frederick Chopin Arranged by John Lanchbery Arranged by John Lanchbery Choreography Frederick Ashton Choreography Frederick Ashton Designs Peter Farmer Designs Julia Trevelyan Oman Lighting John B. Read With Royal Ballet Sinfonia, conducted by Paul Murphy Dancin g Shakespeare Romeo and uliet

Love at first dance, forbidden passions, dangerous secrets and star- crossed fate combine in an exhilarating classic ballet.

Kenneth MacMillan’s best- loved adaptation of this famous play continues Birmingham Royal Ballet’s 2016 Shakespeare celebration.

Set to Prokofiev’s soaring score, Romeo and Juliet tells the familiar tale of two young lovers at the mercy of powerful families and their own hearts. From the balcony scene’s ecstatic pas de deux to the lovers’ heart-breaking ends, Romeo and Juliet has been an audience favourite since its first performance.

Molly Smolen as Juliet and Tiit Helimets as Romeo; photo: Bill Cooper

24 – 27 February 2016

Music Choreography Kenneth MacMillan Designs Paul Andrews Lighting John B. Read

With Royal Ballet Sinfonia, conducted by Koen Kessels and Paul Murphy Dancin g Shakespeare

Choreographer adapts Shakespeare’s tale of mismatched marriage to create his undoubted masterpiece.

In this sparkling comedy, independent and tempestuous Kate gives her suitor Petruchio considerably more than he bargained for.

Cranko breathes new life into this witty battle of the sexes, set to a baroque score by Domenico Scarlatti, and achieves a memorable and truly funny mix of comedy, romance and bravura dancing.

Greta Hodgkinson as Kate and Jason Reilly as Petruchio; photo: Cylla von Tiedemann, courtesy of The National Ballet of Canada

16 – 18 June 2016

Music Domenico Scarlatti Arranged by Kurt-Heinz Stolze Choreography John Cranko Designs Susan Benson

With Royal Ballet Sinfonia, conducted by Wolfgang Heinz and Philip Ellis Dancin g Shakespeare

Shakespeare Triple bill 22 – 25 June 2016

Our celebration of Shakespeare continues with a combination of tragedy, comedy and poetry, all translated into dance. José Limón’s The Moor’s Pavane distils the to Shakespearean couples of every sort, passion and of Shakespeare’s Othello star-crossed, bewitched, squabbling, and into a thrilling one-act tragedy, tightly romantic, plus a powerhouse solo. Finally focussed on four characters and their Jessica Lang captures the poetry of jealousy. David Bintley’s The Shakespeare The Sonnets in this world premiere work. Suite sets a collection of the Bard’s best- loved characters to a swinging Duke The Moor’s Pavane: Veronika Part and Cory Stearns; photo: Ellington score and offers a quicksilver visit Gene Schiavone, courtesy of

THE SONNETS THE MOOR’S PAVANE THE SHAKESPEARE SUITE Choreography Jessica Lang Music Henry Purcell Music Arranged by Simon Sadoff Choreography David Bintley With Royal Ballet Sinfonia and members of Choreography José Limón Sets and Lighting Steve Scott Colin Towns’ Mask Orchestra, conducted by Costumes Pauline Lawrence Costumes Paul Murphy and Philip Ellis ADD TO YOUR ORDER WHEN YOU BUY A SUBSCRIPTION

Sir Peter Wright’s production of TheNutcracker

There’s no better sign that Christmas approaches than the arrival of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s evergreen production of The Nutcracker . Brimming with festive energy, this ballet charms young and old alike.

When a young girl sneaks downstairs on Christmas eve to play with her new nutcracker doll, she is swept up in a fantastic journey, filled with toy soldiers, sugar plum fairies, and of course her handsome prince. This world-famous production by Sir Peter Wright, with exquisite designs by John Macfarlane, is acclaimed as one of the best in the world.

Karla Doorbar as Clara; photo: Bill Cooper

27 November – 13 December 2015

Music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreography Peter Wright, Lev Ivanov, Vincent Redmon Production Peter Wright Designs John F. Macfarlane Lighting David A. Finn With Royal Ballet Sinfonia, conducted by Koen Kessels, Paul Murphy and Philip Ellis Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 28 29 30 1234

Swan Lake Swan Lake Swan Lake Swan Lake Swan Lake Swan Lake

7.30 7.30 2.00 7.30 7.30 7.30 2.30 7.30 5678910 11 Swan Lake Swan Lake Variations Variations Variations

7.30 2.00 7.30 7.30 2.30 7.30 NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Nutcracker Nutcracker Nutcracker

2.00 7.30 2.30 7.30 1.00 30 1 2 3456 Nutcracker Nutcracker Nutcracker Nutcracker Nutcracker Nutcracker

2.00 7.30 7.30 2.00 7.30 7.30 2.30 7.30 1.00 78910 11 12 13 Nutcracker Nutcracker Nutcracker Nutcracker Nutcracker Nutcracker

2.00 7.30 7.30 2.00 7.30 7.30 2.30 7.30 1.00

FEBRUARY 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Ashton Ashton Ashton Ashton

February 7.30 2.00 7.30 7.30 2.30 7.30 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Romeo Romeo Romeo Romeo

7.30 2.00 7.30 7.30 2.30 7.30 JUNE 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Taming Taming Taming

7.30 2.00 7.30 2.30 7.30 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Shakespeare Shakespeare Shakespeare Shakespeare

7.30 2.00 7.30 7.30 2.30 7.30

Bronze ticket price band Silver ticket price band Gold ticket price band See booking form for pric es Subscription Packages These three fixed-date options offer you the best seats at great prices…

Full Season ‘keep-your-seat’ package These fixed-date packages are at a great price and se cure you the same seat for each performance. What’s more, with this package only, you can sit in these same seats year after year – they are yours for as long as you choose this package. Select your seating area (A+/A –F) and your package to find out what you pay:

A+/A B C D E / F Openings and Weekday Matinee packages £140 £115 £95 £80 £70 Friday and Saturday packages £210 £160 £135 £110 £95

Packages Swan Variations Ashton Romeo Taming Shakespeare Openings 28 Sept 8 Oct 17 Feb 24 Feb 16 June 22 June Weekday matinees 30 Sept 8 Oct* 18 Feb 25 Feb 17 June 23 June Friday evenings 2 Oct 9 Oct 19 Feb 26 Feb 17 June 24 June Saturday matinees 3 Oct 10 Oct 20 Feb 27 Feb 18 June 25 June Saturday evenings 3 Oct 10 Oct 20 Feb 27 Feb 18 June 25 June

* Thursday evening included for this produ ction , as no weekday matinee scheduled

Story Ballet package (Swan Lake / Romeo and Juliet / e Taming of the Shrew) Choose one of the fixed-date packages below for savings on single ticket prices.

Select your seating area (A+/A –F) to Packages Swan Romeo Taming find out what you pay: Friday evenings 2 Oct 26 Feb 17 June A+/A BC DE / F Saturday matinees 3 Oct 27 Feb 18 June £125 £105 £90 £75 £60 Saturday evenings 3 Oct 27 Feb 18 June

Mixed Bills package (Variations / Ashton / Shakespeare) Choose one of the fixed-date packages below for savings on single ticket prices.

Select your seating area (A+/A –D) to Packages Variations Ashton Shakespeare find out what you pay: Openings 8 Oct 17 Feb 22 June

A+/A BCDWeekday matinees 8 Oct* 18 Feb 23 June £50 £35 £25 £20 Friday evenings 9 Oct 19 Feb 24 June Saturday matinees 10 Oct 20 Feb 25 June Saturday evenings 10 Oct 20 Feb 25 June

* Thursday evening included for this production as no weekday matinee scheduled

… or, if you need more flexibility, see our Design-Your-Own package option overleaf Design-Your-Own pa ckage (four, ve or six productions) Pick a ticket for four or more of the productions in our season and save (please note, design-your- own packages cannot include The Nutcracker ). See only those ballets you want to see, secure your tickets before they are available to the general public, and save 10%. All seats must be in the same seating area (A+/A –F).

Additional individual tickets You may purchase additional individual tickets at the same time as any subscription package; you may apply the concessions below as appropriate, and you don’t have to pay the 5% transaction charge that normally applies to all but subscription ticket sales.

Concessions Only one concession applicable per ticket Family : up to two U16s pay half price each when attending with a full-paying adult; Sunday – Friday, all price bands except A+ Groups of ten or more: 10% off; Sunday – Friday, all price bands except A+ Groups of 20 or more: 15% off, plus one free organiser ticket; Sunday – Friday, all price bands except A+ Disabled patrons : £5 off or 2-for-1 with essential carer. All performances all price bands. Standby : claimants, full-time students, passport to leisure, best-available seats at lowest published price, limit two tickets per person from 24 hours in advance. 60+ : 10% off, Sunday – Friday, price bands A-C (excluding A+). School & Youth Groups : £11.50 each; Sunday – Friday, one teacher attends for free with every ten tickets, price bands C –E. Ticket price includes transaction charge. BRB Friends : 10% off; Sunday – Friday, all price bands, one ticket per member, per production.

Seating plans

Circle Stalls F E D C C D D B B A A

A+

A+

Stage How to book your subscription package

Fill in your booking form then contact Birmingham Hippodrome Ticket Sales to make your purchase in person, by post, or by telephone.

0844 338 5000 * (Mon –Sat, 10am –8pm, 6pm on non-performance days. Calls from 5p per minute ) birminghamhippodrome.com Ticket Sales, Birmingham Hippodrome, Hurst St, Southside, Birmingham B5 4TB Postage £1.50

We understand that life is uncertain. Subscribers may exchange their tickets to any single performance to another performance of the same programme (once only, please; fees may apply).

BRB Friends and Donors: priority booking for individual tickets from 26 May. Public booking for individual tickets: opens 1 June. You may book by telephone, online or in person. Calls from 5p per minute, 5% transaction charge applies (except purchases that include a season ticket, or cash payments in person); Postage from £1.

All information in this brochure correct at the time of going to press (May 2015), but may be subject to change. Terms and Conditions: Prices and discounts are subject to change. All offers and concessions are subject to availability within a limited allocation, can be withdrawn at any time, are non-retrospective and cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount. Birmingham Royal Ballet reserves the right to alter ticket prices and withdraw offers at any time. Concessionary rates do not apply to season tickets (with the exception of essential carer discounts). Valid ID must be presented where applicable. Additional discounts may be offered from time to time.

Tickets for Birmingham Royal Ballet’s performances at Birmingham Hippodrome are sold by Birmingham Hippodrome. Birmingham Hippodrome is a company limited by guarantee. Registered Office: , Southside, Birmingham B5 4TB; Registered in England and Wales No.1446309; Charity Registered No.510842; VAT Registration No.864449686. Birmingham Royal Ballet is a company limited by guarantee. Registered Office: Thorp Street, Southside, Birmingham B5 4AU; Registered in England and Wales No.3320538; Charity Registered No.1061012; VAT Registration No.687933373.

THE DIRECT DEBIT GUARANTEE This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits. If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Birmingham Hippodrome will notify you seven working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Birmingham Hippodrome to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request. If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by Birmingham Hippodrome or your bank or building society you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society. If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Birmingham Hippodrome asks you to. You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

All the information in this brochure can be found in clear text at www.brb.org.uk/subs

Join the conversation about the 2015 –16 season on Twitter (@brb) or Facebook. Birmingham Royal Ballet receives funding from