★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Reviewer - Emmie

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

Rambert is Britain’s oldest dance company but an organisation that envisages the freedom of being alternative, the responsibility to challenge the status quo, pursues the new and represents the voices less often heard. Rambert is innovative and bold in their delivery and Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby is a blinding example. They’ve brought this spectacular touring production back to the biggest dance hub outside London for a limited run.

Peaky Blinders was a BAFTA award-winning brutal interwar Birmingham gangster drama that ran for six series on the BBC and attracted a huge fanbase of thousands. With this in mind, now streamlined by its creator, Steven Knight, and intertwined with Rambert’s Artistic Director, Benoit Swan Pouffer, a dance production is created that will surely attract new audiences. The bleak, menacing, and dark hues of the show are very present. Amplifying that up with whisky-fuelled aggression, fight scenes and chain smoking with breathtaking movement style makes the finished product consistently powerful.

For context, Peaky is a starting point to tell another story: a prequel that begins with the Shelby brother’s return from fighting in the First World War and dovetails into a love story between Shelby and the woman with the gun, Grace. There are many twists and turns in Thomas’ journey, brought together by a crisp selection of highlighted moments and narrated by the poet/series street preacher Jeremiah (Benjamin Zephaniah), this adaptation compacts three seasons together but very much gives it a refreshing story away from the TV show that thousands love. There is an almighty force that pulls the audience through its entirety and nothing is left behind.

What is really brilliant about Rambert’s presentation of this show is that it doesn’t show one gender is stronger than the other. These dancers are captivating to witness as they move through Benoit Swan Pouffer’s choreography, a beautiful blend of contemporary and ballet which is layered significantly by Roman Gians’ jaw-dropping score. Although this production has a focal point on Tommy’s story (performed with spectacular precision by Guillaume Quéau) it very much expands into diverse group performances, loving duets and triumphant solos that illustrate a vibrant life. This is one if not the tightest British dance company you will see on stage with a notable nod to the skill and execution of Musa Motha’s performance particularly was very inspiring to witness.

The dancer’s playground is a platform that has a ramp at the back and drops around the edges. The dancers have used this staging to really help them amp up the scenes particularly the fight ones where they have to work with this platform to add more dynamics to the action. The ramp really adds layers but can be difficult to have the full effect by being sat in the stalls where the full extension of the dancer’s limbs can be lost.

Rambert Dance’s production of Peaky Blinders: The Redemption is one of the best dance productions I’ve ever seen - a striking theatrical experience you do not want to miss before it’s gone!