Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet, tours UK from May
Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia: first an album for The Who, then a film, and now a ballet. It reaches Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London on 24 June.
In 1973, guitar-smashing Pete Townshend wrote Quadrophenia. Recorded by The Who, it quickly became a multi-million-selling album. Quadrophenia defined a generation and, in 1979, inspired the cult classic feature film of the same name.
Now it’s back as a dance work – Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet. Quadrophenia oozes 1960s rock culture with sharp suits, soul music, Vespas, and parkas, as well as themes of lost youth, rebellion, the search for belonging, and hunger for social change.
Pete Townshend said,
Quadrophenia is the only Who album that I solely composed and produced (1973) and the movie that followed in 1979 launched the careers of some of the finest young actors of the time. In 2016 Rachel Fuller agreed to create an orchestral score of the album. When I first heard a demo of this version, without vocals, my first thought was that it would make a powerfully rhythmic and emotionally engaging ballet. Workshopped in 2023, that thought became a reality and I knew we had something that would resonate with new audiences, and also bring joy, as it had in its other iterations for decades. The themes of young people growing up in difficult times are still so relevant. It’s going to be poignant, tender and poetic and epic.
The orchestral arrangement of the album by Rachel Fuller and Martin Batchelar, first heard in concert version at The Royal Albert Hall and recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, is the backdrop for this production.
Choreographer Paul Roberts and Director Rob Ashford have brought together creative talent from the worlds of music, theatre, film and dance, with original costumes by British fashion house Paul Smith and Natalie Pryce, set design by Christopher Oram, projection by yeastculture.org and lighting design by Fabiana Piccioli.
Paul Roberts said,
Quadrophenia has already inspired me so much, bringing its legacy forward and discovering its voice in movement created so much emotive energy and passion every time we entered the workshop room. I know that taking our next big step into rehearsals will stimulate so much more excitement and our generous, brilliant, madly talented young cast offer nothing but vitality to this iconic story. I can’t wait!
Paris Fitzpatrick will perform the lead role of Jimmy. Fitzpatrick spent a year with Northern Ballet before joining Matthew Bourne‘s New Adventures in 2017, where he originated the role of Romeo in Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet) and Bob in The Midnight Bell. He toured with BalletBoyz in 2022 and won at the National Dance Awards 2024.
The role of Mod Girl will be shared by Serena McCall and Taela Yeomans-Brown. McCall graduated from the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in 2023 and portrayed Roxanne in Kate Prince’s Message in a Bottle. Yeomans-Brown graduated from Bird College Conservatoire for Dance and Musical Theatre in 2020 and most recently they served as Swing and Dance Captain in Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, following roles in Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre and The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre.
Dan Baines will be playing Ace Face. Baines graduated from Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in 2020 and he too toured with Balletboyz in 2022. Since his graduation, he has worked with Tim Burton, Dua Lipa, Damien Jalet, Christopher Bruce, Akram Khan, Matthew Bourne, Maxine Doyle, Corey Baker, Tom Dale, Tom Jackson Greaves, Arlene Phillips and James Cousins.
Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet will tour to Plymouth Theatre Royal (28 May – 1 June 2025), Edinburgh Festival Theatre (10 – 14 June 2025) and the Mayflower, Southampton (18 – 21 June 2025) before having its official opening at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London (24 June – 13 July 2025) and then visiting The Lowry, Salford (15 – 19 July 2025).
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
