Akram Khan's Giselle

About the show

As the curtain rises, dancers in shadow push against a forbidding wall. From that moment on, Akram Khan’s Giselle stuns with powerful images.

This bold re-imagining of the great romantic classic Giselle isn’t just something you watch: it’s something you feel – with every heartbreaking step of the story.

Giselle is part of a community of migrant workers, the Outcasts. A huge wall separates them from the factory Landlords, who have long exploited them. Her lover, Albrecht, joins Giselle’s group – but unknown to her, is in fact a Landlord himself. When the truth is revealed, Giselle’s tragic fate is sealed. She joins the Wilis – the ghosts of women who seek retribution on those who have wronged them. Can Giselle’s love save Albrecht from their vengeance?

Akram Khan’s mesmerising choreography blends ballet with classical Indian dance kathak and contemporary movement, harnessing groups of dancers to dial up the intensity in every scene.