"Merlin" by Northern Ballet

Nottingham Theatre Royal

Ballet is theatre of a different kind. It's like Shakespeare, it has a language of it's own. Like theatre it is dramatic and conveys all emotions but through dance and has its' own kind of magic, quite literally in the case of Northern ballet's "Merlin".

"Merlin" is a blacksmith who has to hide his powers and on the eve of Merlin's 18th Birthday Morgan arrives. Morgan is a Senior General in the Solar Kingdom's Army, and Merlin has deep feelings for her. merlin is to be drafted into the army but does not fit in. Merlin has flashbacks to his birth mother and father and this gets him angry which is where he is introduced to Excalibur. the anger builds and results in him slaying everyone around him. This is witnessed by Morgan.

Merlin encounters the Lady Of the Lake as well as a fierce dragon, who he frees and befriends.

Back in Camelot celebrations are under way and Morgan is offered as a bride to Uther, the King's son, but Uther has his eye on Ygraine, the Princess of The Kingdom of the Tides, but this love is forbidden.

Morgan has followed Uther and witnesses the meeting and is not to happy about this and summons the Solar Warriors. Merlin flees with Ygraine after being saved by his new dragon friend and hides Ygraine at his home with the Blacksmith. Returning to the forest to seek out the dragon, Merlin is captured by the warriors and is thrown into jail.

Will Merlin get Morgan? Will Uther get his Ygraine? Is there an happy ending for both? What happens with Excalibur? Where does King Arthur fit in all of this?

There is so much drama in this story and I could not tear my eyes away from these dancers and the stage.

The dancers are athletes, they make everything seem so effortless, and you just have to admire the pure physicality of the dancer in conveying the story. It has taken years for them to reach the physical peak that we see on stage and you are left in absolute awe with their control, not just of limbs and body but the fact they never seem to show any accelerated breathing in the slight. As I said, these dancers are athletes of the stage.

The sets are incredible. From the initial scene of the giant golden ring that rotated slowly and slowly rose into the ether, to the amazing tree that Merlin lit up with Excalibur. From the palace scenes to the forest, the scenery was as magic as the whole story.

Talking of magic, we experience fiery globes that appear, rise into the air and vanish, a sword that looks as if it is burning that leaves Merlin's hand to float in the air, and several other wonderful illusions.

There is puppetry with the vicious dragons complete with smoking nostrils, all expertly handled so that you are watching the dragon and not the puppeteer (Ashley Dixon). There is so much to watch that your eyes are deliberately drawn to one part of the stage so that illusions can appear just out of eyeline, creating a truly magical experience.

The music lifts you up and sweeps you along the magical journey. from the very first note to the final chord, it does not seem that you are in the theatre for just under two hours. The whole mixture of the wonderful story, the beautiful music and the incredible performers just make the minutes disappear.

Directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie. So many wonderful scenes but I especially loved the scenes with The Lady of the Lake. you really got the feeling of water with the fluidity of the choreography.

The gorgeous music is composed by Grant Olding, whose name may ring a bell as he trained as an actor at Central School of Speech and Drama. The Northern Ballet Sinfonia was conducted with great gusto by Jonathan Lo.

The wonderful set, as well as the costumes were designed by Colin Richmond.

Lighting of this production also creates a special feel and is the work of Anna Watson.

I mentioned the illusions for this piece were literally quite magical and these were produced by a man who really knows his art as he is a member of the Magic Circle and was the Magic associate for Harry Potter & The Cursed Child, Mr Chris Fisher.

Rachael Canning was the lady behind the amazing puppets we see on stage.

And so to the incredible team of dancers who are also wonderful story-tellers and athletes.

Kevin Poeung (Merlin), Antoinette Brooks-Daw (Morgan), Lorenzo Trossello (Uther), Rachael Gillespie (Ygraine), Javier Torres (Vorligern), Minju Kang (Blacksmith), Abigail Prudames (Lady of the Lake), Greig Matthews (Helios), Heather Lehan and Sarah Chun were the Princesses. These were the mains and then there were the male and female warriors flooding the stage.

I can't really put into words just how much I love ballet; I've not seen a ballet that I have not loved or would not see again. As I said, there is a special kind of magic of being in a theatre and letting the music wash over you while following a story without words, and marvelling at the special talent of telling stories through dance. The beauty of the whole experience is simply awe inspiring and breath taking.

If you think that ballet is not for you, go on, take a risk because, like Shakespeare, it has a special language that you will love and become hooked on. All it takes is that one step into the unknown. Why not let Merlin bewitch you into taking that step.

"Merlin" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 2 October.