Review: Northern Ballet’s Three Short Ballets is rescued by Fools
Mthuthuzeli November’s South African township drama Fools outshines Tiler Peck’s sugary Grandes Études and Van Manen’s tepid 5 Tangos in a mixed bill with Royal Ballet guests.
| Title | Three Short Ballets Grandes Études, An American in Paris pas de deux, Cinderella pas de deux, The Great Gatsby pas de deux, 5 Tangos, Fools |
| Company | Northern Ballet |
| Venue | Linbury Theatre, London |
| Date | 29 September 2026 |
| Reviewer | Jonathan Gray |
Northern Ballet‘s autumn season in London has become a regular fixture at the Linbury Theatre, which is especially welcome as it allows the company to perform a varied repertoire of one-act works that would be more difficult for it to “sell” on tour.
The current programme includes a new ballet by Tiler Peck (who has recently been appointed as New York City Ballet’s first choreographic associate), as well as revivals of Hans van Manen‘s 5 Tangos, dating from 1977, and Mthuthuzeli November’s Fools, which he created for the company in 2024. Opening night had the bonus of three extra pas de deux thrown in for good measure, performed by members of the company alongside principal dancers from The Royal Ballet in a special tribute to Aud Jebsen, a long-time supporter of both companies. It was a generous offering, but I wish I could be more enthusiastic about most of the choreographic content.
Tiler Peck’s Grandes Études, danced to piano music by Franz Liszt played live by Rose McLaughlan, certainly gave the four couples of its cast plenty to perform. The women, all clad in fey, pastel colours, skimmed about in dances of choreographic whimsy. They crisscrossed the stage alongside the men (seemingly dressed in their pyjamas), who jumped vigorously and raised the women up in complicated lifts. Peck’s choreography is fast-moving, and her dances move smoothly from solos to complicated duets, trios and ensembles. Reminiscent of Jerome Robbins‘ Dances at a Gathering, yet lacking its variety and humanity, Grandes Études was too cloyingly sweet for my taste, and pretty forgettable once it had all sped by.
Grandes Études was followed by an extract from Christopher Wheeldon‘s An American in Paris, expertly danced by Harris Beattie and The Royal Ballet’s Anna Rose O’Sullivan, and the pas de deux from Act II of Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella with Saeka Shirai, partnered in exemplary fashion by The Royal Ballet’s Reece Clarke. Lastly, we saw The Royal Ballet’s Ryoichi Hirano in a dramatic duet with Sarah Chun from David Nixon’s The Great Gatsby. Enjoyable all, without adding greatly to the overall programme.
At the centre of the evening came Hans van Manen’s 5 Tangos, staged by Rachel Beaujean and Alexander Zhembrovskyy. Never a favourite of mine, I always find that Van Manen’s limited choreography somehow fails to capture the sensual, yet sharp precision and daring of real tango dancing, either from Argentina or in the ballroom, and Northern Ballet’s performance felt flat and a bit tepid. It was left to The Royal Ballet’s Cesar Corrales to inject some real Latin flair and dynamism into his all too brief solo.
Luckily, Northern Ballet saved the best until last. Based on R L Peteni’s novel Hill of Fools, Mthuthuzeli November’s Fools (a bit like West Side Story but set in a South African township) displayed the company as an ensemble of exceptional dance actors, their performances vividly depicting a divided community and the love that tries to bridge it. The choreography draws deeply on South African movements, rhythms and traditions, and the growing sense of antagonism and barely contained aggression between the two groups is excellently conveyed. Sarah Chun and Harris Beattie were completely believable as the young lovers, their duets tender and affectionate (his gentle touch to her stomach suggesting she is expecting their child), and Antoni Cañellas Artigues boils with so much rage he ends up killing Beattie’s character in a brutal climax to the violence. November, who also composed the music for Fools alongside Alex Wilson, has a definite talent for creating powerful dances that can tell a story with clarity and conviction. It will be exciting to see what he does next.
Jonathan Gray was editor of Dancing Times from 2008 to 2022.
He studied at The Royal Ballet School, Leicester Polytechnic, and Wimbledon School of Art where he graduated with a BA Hons in Theatre Design. He was on the Curatorial Staff of the Theatre Museum, London, from 1989 to 2005, assisting on a number of dance-related exhibitions, and helping with the recreation of original designs for a number of The Royal Ballet’s productions including Danses concertantes, Daphnis and Chloë, and The Sleeping Beauty.
Jonathan Gray has also contributed to the Financial Times and The Guardian, written programme articles for The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet, and is co-author of the book Unleashing Britain: Theatre gets real 1955-64, published in 2005. He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
