Birmingham Royal Ballet Return To The Lowry

Birmingham Royal Ballet returns to The Lowry with a remarkable double bill between Tue 20 – Sat 24 February. They not only celebrate one of the most important creative collaborations of the 20th Century, that of George Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky, but also perform a brand new version of Cyrano.

Choreographed by David Bintley CBE, Cyrano is the heartbreaking story of one man’s truly self-sacrificing devotion. Set in 17th-century France, the show travels to Salford Quays for its first North West dates.

Lady Roxane is in love with the dashing cadet Christian de Neuvillette, and so enlists her cousin, the poet and soldier Cyrano de Bergerac to deliver her intended a love letter. Cyrano is a perfect example of a renaissance man but cursed by his big nose, he lacks the confidence to declare his love for his cousin, Roxane.

Alas, poor Christian can neither read nor write, and so begs Cyrano first to read Roxane’s letter, and then to reply. Soon Cyrano is penning love letters for his friend of such amorous and intellectual brilliance they bewitch the unsuspecting Roxane.

Stravinsky! A Celebration takes shape with three performances. Agon, Stravinsky Violin Concerto and Symphony in Three Movements originally formed BRB’s contribution to the third year of Birmingham’s Stravinsky Festival.

Agon is a modern masterwork and a mesmerising experience not to be missed. Ritual, ceremony and the power of human dance is crystallised into one sparkling ballet. Stravinsky Violin Concerto is playful and disturbing in equal measure, examining the struggle between the sexes. Symphony in Three Movements is an energetic, abstract ensemble work said to have been inspired by Stravinsky’s impression of World War II. The performance is jazzy and intense, Balanchine’s complex choreography providing an intriguingly abstract narrative.

Stravinsky! A Celebration, Tuesday 20 – Wednesday 21 February
Cyrano, Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 February
The Lowry, Salford Quays, Greater Manchester
Tickets: £15 - £37
Box Office: Thelowry.com.