The Royal Ballet’s newest commission débuts at the Royal Opera House tonight: Christopher Wheeldon’s full-length ballet, The Winter’s Tale.

An exciting cast features  Edward Wat­son and Lauren Cuth­bertson as Leontes and Her­mi­one, Steven McRae and Sarah Lamb as Flor­izel and Per­dita and Fed­erico Bon­elli and Zenaida Yanowksy as Polixenes and Paulina.

The London run is almost all sold out, before anyone has had the chance to see it, which says something for the audience’s faith in the Royal Ballet, their dancers, and Mr Wheeldon. Ballet lovers world-wide will get a chance to see the bal­let on Monday 28 April. In the meantime, here is a first glimpse of The Winter’s Tale.

Edward Watson as Leontes in The Winter’s Tale