World premiere of Northern Ballet’s MERLIN opens at Theatre Royal Nottingham this autumn

Photo credit: Guy Farrow

The world premiere of Northern Ballet’s Merlin will open at the Theatre Royal Nottingham from 25 September-2 October, prior to embarking on a new UK tour.

Created by the British choreographer Drew McOnie, Merlin is an epic adventure of heartache, hope and spellbinding magic. The production sees the young and inexperienced sorcerer master his magic to unite a warring kingdom. The ballet explores Merlin’s teenage impulses and his quest for acceptance, set against a backdrop of conflict and divide.

Drawing on well-known characters from Arthurian legend including Morgan le Fae and the Lady of the Lake, the original story will be brought to life with illusions and magic by Chris Fisher, International Illusions & Magic Associate for Harry Potter & The Cursed Child. Fisher will work closely with Northern Ballet’s dancers, applying the discipline of ballet to mastering magic complemented by Colin Richmond's ingenious set and costume designs.

Merlin will be the first full-length ballet created by Olivier Award-winner Drew McOnie (Jesus Christ Superstar, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre; King Kong, Broadway; Strictly Ballroom, West End). Its story is a personal one, inspired by McOnie’s experiences of feeling different growing up and, more recently, examining what it could mean to be a parent in a non-nuclear family. It’s a story about how one's otherness may in fact turn out to be their magic.

McOnie said: “I am so thrilled to be heading back into the studio to create Merlin for Northern Ballet. It is a very special and important piece to me, and I am so grateful that despite the initial setbacks, we are now back in full development, flying towards what I hope will be a magical opening in September. New work is so vital, and I am so pleased that Merlin will be part of that wave of original productions, welcoming audiences back to the theatre; an adventure that I know has been sorely missed.”

Following its run in Nottingham, the production will visit Hull, Norwich, Sheffield, Leeds and Southampton.