I watched every second of all six series of Peaky Blinders and at no point did I think: “Wow. This would make a really good dance work!” I don’t believe Benoit Swan Pouffer did either. What I think happened is that the artistic director of Rambert was looking for a story that would extend his dance company’s reach beyond the usual narratives, chanced upon the hugely popular saga of the violent Shelby family and thought: “Aha!”
The resulting story, premiered to a hugely enthusiastic Birmingham audience, isn’t bad. But never once does it feel felt or earned; it’s all surface and no depth, a marketing person’s fantasy, not an engaging work.
