Birmingham Royal Ballet premieres short film commission EMPTY STAGE

Photo credit: Impermanence

Following their successful stream of The Nutcracker at The REP, Birmingham Royal Ballet has released Carlos Acosta’s first major digital commission for the Company: Empty Stage.

Empty Stage is a poignant, hope-filled response to COVID’s impact on live performance and demonstrates the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s deep-rooted desire to keep ballet alive during difficult times.

The piece is directed by Roseanna Anderson and Joshua Ben-Tovim, and is so named after decorated singer-songwriter Benjamin Scheuer’s song. The film features a number of Birmingham Royal Ballet dancers, along with Company members who work behind the scenes to make performances possible, in a tribute to the industry.

An initial melancholic tone reflecting on what has been lost transforms into a message of hope as the lights go up and magic re-enters the theatre. The applause we hear is not just an encouragement but recognition of a shared live experience that nourishes all involved.

Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet Carlos Acosta said: “Everyone has been focused on creating digital content recently. We have been fortunate to have performed live on stage whether for audiences in the theatre or in their homes but this project is something else. I wanted to make a film that told the story of the past 9 months in a hopeful and optimistic way and to make it a work of art in its own right rather than a version of a live experience or a promotional vehicle. I find the ideal collaborators for this in Benjamin, Joshua and Roseanna.

“We felt it was important to start the new year on as positive a note as possible, whatever the situation regarding our plans looked like. As has been the case throughout 2020, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s focus has been on what is possible rather than what is not.”

To watch the film, please see below…