In the 1970s Kenneth MacMillan snatched ballet from the land of myths and fairytales and thrust it into worlds of psychological darkness, with complex, unsympathetic characters that dancers love to get their teeth into. Does Manon, a ballet about prostitution and sexual violence, come dangerously close to misery porn? In the lower rungs of 18th-century Paris, women are bought and abused, the society on show is an ugly one, but this is ballet so it’s also beautiful: I think that’s called cognitive dissonance.
Manon is full of dislikable characters, and its success hinges on whether the dancers can engross us in their journey. Opening night features two of the Royal Ballet’s strongest actors, Francesca Hayward and Gary Avis, as well as Marcelino Sambé making his debut as pure-hearted Des Grieux, so the answer is yes.
