British dance company Rambert is currently putting on performances of its new dance theatre show, Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby, at the Grand Théâtre in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg.
The first performance took place on the evening of Wednesday 6 November, with additional performances scheduled for Thursday 7 and Friday 8 November at 20:00 and on Saturday 9 November 2024 at 15:00 and 20:00.
This stage adaptation, written by the series' creator Steven Knight and choreographed and directed by Rambert's Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer, captures the Peaky Blinders story through music and dance.
Ticket prices start at €15 or €8 for young people; Kulturpass welcome. To reserve a spot, visit https://theatres.lu/fr/rambert, send an email to: tickets@lestheatres.lu or phone tel.: 479-63901.
In addition, musical director and drummer Yaron Engler will lead a workshop in English at the Grand Théâtre on Sunday 10 November 2024 at 11:00. Participants can explore Peaky Blinders through rhythm and movement. For further details and registration, see https://theatres.lu/fr/workshopyaronengler.
Chronicle.lu had the opportunity to speak with Benoit Swan Pouffer about bringing the show to Luxembourg this week.
Chronicle.lu: Please tell us about the experience of helping to bring Peaky Blinders to life through dance- how does this compare to other shows in which you have been involved? Any particularly rewarding or challenging aspects?
Benoit Swan Pouffer: For creatives, it’s our mission to bring dance to the people as it’s important to democratise dance. It’s been an amazing experience getting to work with Steven Knight for the opportunity to bring some of the series’ integral characters to life through dance. Dance allows emotions to be portrayed through the body, and there are many emotions to explore in Peaky Blinders. For me, the first opening was really special as I saw the vibrant reception from the audience, and got to connect with people who have never seen dance before. That was an incredibly rewarding moment; one that I keep getting to witness as the show tours.
Chronicle.lu: Tell us more about your experience working together with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. How did this collaboration come about?
Benoit Swan Pouffer: Steven Knight and I met after the BBC recommended that we talk about potentially collaborating on creating a small excerpt for a Peaky Blinders festival that was to take place in Birmingham, UK. At the time, I didn’t know what we could or would do together but the twelve-minute piece showed us that we could do more and, following this, Rambert dancers featured in Series 5 of the TV series itself. As a choreographer, I love that I get to continue telling these stories through movement, as Steven Knight and I continue our collaboration by creating and touring Rambert’s Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby.
Chronicle.lu: How does this innovative dance theatre show differ from more traditional (contemporary) dance performances?
Benoit Swan Pouffer: The difference comes in the collaboration between Peaky Blinders and Rambert. There are many moments that make this production unique but an integral one is that there is live music on stage. I always wanted the show to feel like a Rock 'n' Roll concert so having a band perform with the dancers felt organic. Rambert is one of the world’s most diverse companies of dancers, and I’m proud that we get to present adventurous, dynamic and daring work that inspires audiences, locally, nationally and internationally.
Chronicle.lu: What do you hope (Luxembourg) audiences will take away from this show?
Benoit Swan Pouffer: As a company, we are so proud of the success of Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby and are excited to see its return. Having had the opportunity of presenting this work to audiences across the UK, I’m excited for even more people to see it and to witness how audiences in Luxembourg respond to it as it makes its European Premiere at Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg from 6 to 9 November 2024, before it continues its tour to Istanbul and Paris, with more dates to be announced.
