Press Release: Northern Ballet's The Great Gatsby swings into theatres across the UK

[Jan McNulty]

For immediate release 15 September 2022     The Great Gatsby    Northern Ballet’s smash hit production returns to theatres across the UK     Touring nationally Spring 2023  Coming to Leeds, Sheffield and London northernballet.com/gatsby        Northern Ballet’s The Great Gatsby is returning to theatres across the UK in Spring 2023. The ballet will open at Leeds Grand Theatre on Wednesday 8 March before touring to Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre and London’s Sadler’s Wells.    Northern Ballet, who have recently come under the new leadership of former Royal Ballet Principal Federico Bonelli, will bring the glitz and glamour of the roaring twenties to life as they reimagine F. Scott Fitzgerald’s infamous novel on stage. The Great Gatsbypremiered in 2013 and has since enjoyed four successful UK tours, becoming one of the Company’s most popular productions.     Set in New York’s Long Island during the 1920’s, The Great Gatsby tells the tale of Jay Gatsby a mysterious millionaire with a secret past and a penchant for lavish parties. As the sparkling façade of Gatsby’s world begins to slip, the loneliness, obsession and tragedy that lie beneath are revealed.    The Great Gatsby is choreographed by Northern Ballet’s former Artistic Director David Nixon CBE and earned him a nomination for Best Classical Choreography in the 2014 National Dance Awards.     The production features lavish sets by Jérôme Kaplan and dazzling Chanel inspired costumes designed by Nixon. Sir Richard Rodney Bennett’s CBE’s unforgettable score completes the backdrop, played live by the Northern Ballet Sinfonia.     Director, Choreographer and Costume Designer David Nixon CBE said:     'Like many, I fell in love with Fitzgerald's timeless novel at a young age and it continues to capture my imagination to this day.      The glamour of the 1920's lends itself beautifully to the stage with stunning costumes and sets and the music by the late Sir Rodney Richard Bennett CBE transports the audience to an elusive time of lavish parties and prohibition and jazz.     I’m thrilled that Federico has chosen to bring this beloved production back to theatres next Spring and I hope that audiences will continue to be delighted and entertained by the glitz and glamour of Fitzgerald’s captivating 20s once again. '    Tickets to The Great Gatsby will go on sale soon. Please visit northernballet.com/gatsbyfor more information. To find out more about Northern Ballet’s other touring productions including Autumn 2022’s The Little Mermaid and The Nutcracker visit northernballet.com/whatson.     -ENDS-    Notes to Editors    Production Credits  Choreography, Direction, Scenario & Costume Design David Nixon CBE  Co-Direction & Scenario Patricia Doyle  Music Sir Richard Rodney Bennett CBE  Set Design Jérôme Kaplan  Lighting Design Tim Mitchell  Orchestrations John Longstaff & Gavin Sutherland  Music Advisor Anthony Meredith  Costume Design Assistant Julie Anderson    2023 Tour Dates Leeds Grand Theatre   8 – 18 March 2023  Box Office 0113 243 0808  leedsheritagetheatres.com   Sheffield Lyceum Theatre   21 – 25 March 2023  Box Office 0114 249 6000  sheffieldtheatres.co.uk    Sadler’s Wells   16 – 20 May 2023  Box Office 020 7863 8000  sadlerswells.com   Northern Ballet Northern Ballet is one of the UK’s leading ballet companies and the widest touring ballet company in the UK. Bold and innovative in its approach, Northern Ballet is prolific at creating new full-length work with a unique blend of strong classical technique and impressive storytelling. Northern Ballet’s repertoire embraces popular culture and takes inspiration from literature, legend, opera and the classics, pushing the boundaries of what stories can be told through dance.    A champion for the cultural exports of the North, Leeds-based Northern Ballet is dedicated to bringing ballet to as many people and places as possible. Northern Ballet’s Company of dancers performs a combination of its full-length ballets and specially created ballets for children at more than 40 venues annually.    Launched in 2019, Northern Ballet’s digital dance platform ensures more people can access their work, from full-length films of popular ballets through to exciting short dance films by up-and-coming choreographers and filmmakers. Visit digitaldance.org to discover more.  For more details of Northern Ballet's tour, on sale dates and booking information, please visit northernballet.com/whatson      Federico Bonelli  Federico Bonelli was appointed Artistic Director of Northern Ballet in May 2022.    He was born in Genoa and grew up in Casale Monferrato, Italy, and he trained locally and at the Turin Dance Academy.    Before joining Northern Ballet, Federico was Principal Dancer with The Royal Ballet where he had an illustrious career at the highest level, dancing the Company’s principal roles, collaborating with many leading choreographers, featuring in several recorded performances by the Company, and experiencing a variety of styles of ballet and dance.    In addition to The Royal Ballet, Federico has danced with Dutch National Ballet and the Zürich Ballet, as well as guesting as a Principal Dancer with many leading companies around the world.    In 2019 Federico graduated from the Clore Leadership Programme (The Clore Fellowship). He curated the programme for The Royal Ballet activities in Doncaster as part of the Doncaster Creates festival, prior to its pandemic postponement and has coached Royal Ballet repertory, helping to nurture and develop the high standards of the company’s dancers. Federico also co-facilitated The Royal Ballet’s Inclusivity Focus Group, a process that brings together dancers and management of the company to discuss all areas of Diversity and Inclusion, with the aim to influence strategic and operational decisions at The Royal Ballet.    Federico is a non-executive director and member of the Board of Parents and Carers in Performing Arts (PiPA), an Arts Council supported charity that promotes an arts sector that is inclusive of the parent and carer workforce. Furthermore, he is a member of the external Steering Group of Chance to Dance, The Royal Ballet’s outreach talent development programme that aims to remove the barriers to a diverse talent pipeline into vocational training and the ballet and dance profession.    In his role as Artistic Director, Federico is looking forward to continuing the legacy of Northern Ballet through telling inventive and innovative stories through ballet, reaching communities across the world on stage, on screen and online.   Pictured: Antoinette Brooks-Daw and Nicola Gervasi in The Great Gatsby. Photo Guy Farrow.

[Emeralds]

I really want to see this, but will have to cross all my fingers, find some four leaf clovers, etc etc, as all three gigs currently clash with important appointments. Still early days, so hopefully.... 🍀🍀🍀