The peasant girl Giselle discovers the true identity of her lover Albrecht and that he is promised to another.
Giselle kills herself. Her soul enters the ranks of the Wilis shades of young women who died before their wedding day. All men that come across their path are compelled to dance themselves to death, and Albrecht falls into their trap. Giselle’s intercession saves Albrecht and releases her soul from the Wilis’ power.
Giselle is the classic ballet of the Romantic era. It transformed the dance world when it was first performed in Paris in 1841 and remains at the centre of the classical repertory. Giselle’s essence has remained the same through many different productions in well over a century of continuous performance. Peter Wright’s production for The Royal Ballet is based on Marius Petipa’s classic version (after the original 1841 choreography by Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli), which was first staged in St Petersburg in 1884.
The role of Giselle provides the dancer with many technical and dramatic challenges, from the character’s early love to her poignant descent into madness and her final gesture of forgiveness from beyond the grave. The first act of the ballet is filled with historical detail and rustic colour. By contrast, the second, ‘white’ act plunges the audience into an eerie moonlit forest haunted by the ethereal Wilis. With its combination of memorable story and exquisite choreography, Giselle is the perfect way to discover classical ballet.
Bus routes: (Aldwych) RV1, 6, 11, 13, 23, 59, 68, 87, 171, 172, 188, X68
Night buses: (Aldwych) 6, 23, 188, N11, N13, N26, N47, N68, N87, N89, N155, N171, N551
Nearest rail: Charing Cross
Tube lines: Piccadilly
Nearest tube: Covent Garden
Directions from Covent Garden :
(3 mins) The Royal Opera House is off Covent Garden piazza, which is visible from the tube station exit. There is a revolving door entrance at the piazza.
Car park: Drury Lane, Parker Street (7mins)
In congestion zone?: Yes
Air conditioned
Bar
Disabled toilets
Infrared hearing loop
Toilets
Wheelchair accessible
Please note: The location shown on the map is an approximate location of the theatre. In the majority of cases the theatre will be marked on the map so please make sure you locate the exact location yourself. If the theatre is not shown on the map please make sure you locate the correct road name and take account of the directions.
Giselle - Royal Ballet
Royal Opera House, London
Running time: 2 hours (One interval)
We're sorry, it looks like we no longer have tickets for this event.