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Torn between her desire of a life of splendour and riches and her devotion to her true love Des Grieux, the feckless and capricious Manon pays the ultimate price.

★★★★★”Kenneth MacMillan’s tragedy has never cut deeper The unconventional but enduring ballet bites again.” The Standard

★★★★ “the Royal Ballet brings beauty to sordid snake pits of Paris.
Kenneth MacMillan’s journey into a world of darkness is performed with consummate craft by a superb company” The Guardian

★★★★★” thrilling revival of a dark, sexy, compassionate masterpiece. Francesca Hayward is an absolute knockout in this scintillatingly moving and exciting return to Kenneth MacMillan’s 50-year-old tragedy.” The Telegraph

This adaptation of Abbé Prévost’s novel embodies Kenneth MacMillan at his best, his acute insight into human psychology and his mastery of narrative choreography finding full expression in the impassioned duets of the central couple, visceral and urgent in their desire.

The heroine’s struggle to escape poverty make Manon one of the most dramatic and devastating of ballets, emphasized by Nicholas Georgiadis’ evocative designs that reflect the juxtaposition between Manon’s impoverished origins and the lavish world she longs to inhabit. The 2023/24 Season celebrates the centenary of Nicholas Georgiadis.

Running time 195 minutes (including two intervals)

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Choreography Kenneth Macmillan
Music Jules Massenet
Orchestration Martin Yates
Designer Nicholas Georgiadis
Lighting designer Jacopo Pantani
Conductor Koen Kessels