One of the cornerstones of Rambert Dance Company’s ethos is to democratise dance, and with this stage adaptation of a hugely popular TV series they are certainly making a statement.
Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer’s ‘Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby’ is not a direct translation of the original story for the stage. Realistically it would not be possible to condense 35 hours of television drama into a single 2½ hour dance work, so the show’s creator Steven Knight has written a new version of the narrative, which re-examines the characters and their lives for the new medium. In doing so, he has created a piece that will work for audiences whether or not they saw the source material, albeit in different ways.
One of the cleverest aspects of this adaptation is the addition of a framing of the central story in the form of a prologue, which sees the Shelbys among their comrades in the trenches and tunnels of the Somme. The graphic depiction of these scenes of horror, which leave survivors ‘alive, but dead inside’, serves to give back-story which offers motivation for the lives that they went on to lead.
The second masterstroke is Roman GianArthur’s musical score, which combines some of the music used in the TV series with newly written material, performed by a live onstage band who are frequently unseen but occasionally almost become part of the action. The juxtaposition of this pulsating, modern score against the period costume is far from incongruous, adding a muscular thrust which matches the powerful swagger of the dance.
A top-flight company of dancers is headed by Connor Kerrigan in the title role of Tommy, and he brings immense presence, poise and passion to the stage. The entire ensemble are honed to perfection, but special note should go to Naya Lovell in the role of Grace, Dylan Tedaldi as Arthur and Adél Bálint as Ada. The choreography capitalises on the duality of the storyline, blending raw energy and aggression with a love story, and the link between music and movement is seamless.
Moi Tran’s set looks spectacular on the Empire’s stage, although the fact that most of it is a raised platform designed to create trenches and walkways could affect lines of sight for the front half of the stalls.
Audiences unfamiliar with the characters may struggle with the storytelling, despite occasional segments of spoken narration from the late Benjamin Zephania, while devotees of the TV series may be at a disadvantage in other ways, due to the newly shaped plotline. Either way it is probably better to approach the work for what it is - a powerful piece of contemporary dance. Rambert have successfully stepped into New Adventures territory in reimagining a work from popular culture on such a grand scale, and Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby is both a fine vehicle for their outstanding company and a great enticement to new audiences for the artform.
The show plays at Liverpool Empire until 21st September and then continues touring the UK and Europe through to June 2025.
Star rating: 4 stars
The cast of Peaky Blinders - Picture by Johan Persson
This review was originally written for publication by Good News Liverpool
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