RBO: Ballet
In the seedy underbelly of 18th-century Paris, money is king. Nothing is sacred - even love itself can be bought for the right price. FROM 31 Oct
A native of this hedonistic underworld, Manon is caught between twin desires when she falls in love with the student Des Grieux. Steadfast and devoted, he offers the possibility of an honourable life. Yet, the riches promised by the world of Parisian society remain tempting.
Manon’s inner turmoil and struggle for survival lie at the devastating heart of Kenneth MacMillan’s 1974 adaptation of Abbé Prévost’s novel.
In this signature work of The Royal Ballet, MacMillan’s nuanced understanding of human psychology makes for an unflinching look into the moral degradation of Manon’s Paris, while all its decadence and decay are brought to life through Jules Massenet’s score and Nicholas Georgiadis’s designs.
Cast: Yasmine Naghdi, William Bracewell. Director: Kenneth MacMillan.
180m inc 2 intervals
Tickets £19.50
Sat 31 Oct 17:15
An old house in the country, a young governess, orphans, one Condition… and ghosts. The opera by Benjamin Britten and Myfanwy Piper, based on a short story by Henry James.
We also screen Tony Britten's docu-drama Benjamin Britten: Peace and Conflict including a Q&A with the director.
Saint-Saëns's spectacular take on the biblical hero of legendary strength and the seductive Philistine whose beauty overpowers him returns in the Met's larger-than-life production.