English National Ballet - Akram Khan's Giselle Tickets

Akram Khan’s Giselle in London

Experience one of the greatest ballets of all time reimagined in Akram Khan’s groundbreaking Giselle, performed by the English National Ballet. Love, betrayal and redemption sweep across the stage as Giselle’s path towards saving her true love unravels. Khan’s “masterpiece of modern ballet” (The Telegraph) combines classical Indian dance and contemporary movement to create an unforgettable experience. Returning for a strictly limited run at London Coliseum on London's historic St Martin's Lane, you won’t want to miss this “electrifying triumph” (Sunday Express) - secure your tickets today.

What is the ballet Giselle about?

Peasant girl Giselle is part of the Outcasts, a community of migrant workers who are ostracised from the exploitative Landlords who run the garment factory they work in and separated from the rest of the world by a towering wall. When the mysterious Albrecht joins Giselle's group, she falls for him instantly. But Albrecht has hidden his true identity - and his engagement to another woman - from her. When his identity as a Landlord is exposed, Giselle falls into madness and dies from heartbreak, joining the Wilis - a sisterhood of ghostly jilted brides who seek revenge on the men who wronged them. Will Giselle choose to let Albrecht dance to his death, or will her love save him from a fate as tragic as her own?

Giselle is the first full-length ballet from acclaimed choreographer Akram Khan. Combining kathak, a classical form of Indian dance known for its intricate footwork, with both ballet and contemporary movement, Khan’s reimagining is a “beautiful and intelligent remaking of the beloved classic” (New York Times).

A co-production with the English National Ballet and Sadler’s Wells, Giselle first premiered in 2016 as part of the Manchester International Festival. The ballet has since embarked on numerous nationwide and international tours and has been recorded for streaming on English National Ballet’s Ballet On Demand service. This “staggeringly beautiful and utterly devastating” (The Sunday Express) production returns to London for only three days this January in celebration of it’s tenth anniversary.

Who are the cast and creative team of Giselle?

Giselle is choreographed and directed by Akram Khan. Known for his imaginative storytelling that is described as being both intimate and epic, Khan often collaborates with the English National Ballet, as well as running his own company AKC. Credits include Creature, DESH, Outwitting the Devil, XENOS, as well as choreography for Kylie Minogue. Khan and AKC also created and performed part of the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony.

Khan’s accolades include two Laurence Olivier Awards, a Bessie (New York Dance and Performance) Award, an International Society for the Performing Arts Distinguished Artist Award, a South Bank Sky Arts Award, and ten Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards for AKC. In 2005, Khan was awarded an MBE for services to dance.

The score is by Vincenzo Lamagna (Until the Lions, Kingdom), adapted from the original by Adolphe Adam, and performed live by the English National Ballet Philharmonic.

Lighting is by Olivier and Tony Award winner Mark Henderson (The History Boys, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), with set design by Academy Award winner Tim Yip (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Medea)

Giselle is performed by a cast of talented dancers from the English National Ballet.

Tickets for Akram Khan’s Giselle at the London Coliseum

Prepare to be swept away by the haunting performances in this gorgeous ballet. Giselle is “not just a revival, but a reinvention” (The Independent). Don’t miss this acclaimed production from one of the greatest creatives working in the industry today as it comes to London’s largest stage for a strictly limited run. Book your tickets for Giselle at the London Coliseum today!