MacMillan Celebrated

Explosive, evocative, and deeply moving. This extraordinary triple bill, performed live by The Royal Ballet, celebrates the endless invention of Kenneth MacMillan,a choreographic giant who pushed ballet to reflect raw human emotion, passion, and frailty. The program opens with Danses Concertantes, a kaleidoscopic abstract ballet set to Igor Stravinsky's lively score. Staged by Laura Morera and featuring vibrant designs by Nicholas Georgiadis, lead dancers Isabella Gasparini and Giacomo Rovero bring brilliant technique and playful energy to the stage. The mood shifts dramatically with Different Drummer, MacMillan's haunting adaptation of Georg Büchner’s Woyzeck. Set to the stark sounds of Anton Webern and Arnold Schoenberg, Marcelino Sambé delivers a powerful performance as the doomed Woyzeck alongside Francesca Hayward's vulnerable Marie, tracing a tragic descent into madness. The evening closes with Requiem, a poignant elegy set to Gabriel Fauré’s comforting choral masterpiece. Starring Sarah Lamb, Lukas B. Brændsrød, William Bracewell, and Melissa Hamilton, this spiritual work offers a luminous reflection on grief, hope, and mortality. From sharp modernist wit to searing psychological drama, this mixed bill is a fitting tribute to a legendary artist's enduring legacy.