The Royal Ballet has revived Glen Tetley's landmark 1962 ballet, Pierrot Lunaire, at the Linbury Theatre. Set to Arnold Schoenberg's atonal score, the work is described as stark, strange and psychologically charged.
Drawing from commedia dell'arte iconography, the ballet tells the story of moonstruck innocent Pierrot, played by Marcelino Sambé, whose desire awakens through an encounter with the many-faced Columbine, danced by Mayara Magri. Matthew Ball portrays the dominant, manipulative Brighella. The sparse set features only a scaffold centre stage, while the choreography blends classical ballet lines with the gravitational pull and visceral gestures of Martha Graham.
The choreography is clear and purposeful, with fleeting crescent shapes and upward tugs evoking moonlight. The three dancers, inscrutable in face makeup, embody their roles superbly, matching the anxiety and hysteria of Schoenberg's score.
However, the ballet's Freudian iconography feels antiquated. A key moment sees Pierrot touch Columbine's chest, leading to a slap. The drama suggests Pierrot as a shamed boy, Columbine as woman in various guises, and Brighella as a dominant male figure. The combination of retrogressive crudeness and sadistic tone with high style and powerful performance is strange and creepy.
