In what could conceivably be seen as a strange move, this evening found me sitting in the auditorium of Birmingham Hippodrome, with dimmed lighting and a cacophony of excitement as the curtain was raised on the world premiere of a brand new collaboration.
The piece saw Birmingham Hippodrome team up with the world renowned Rambert Dance Company to debut a new dance event, delving into the backstory of Tommy Shelby and the Peaky Blinders, written by the creator of the global hit television series. I say it was a 'strange move' because I'm not a huge fan of dance and I've never seen so much as a trailer for the TV series this production is based on.
Yet still, the hype and expectation surrounding this piece compelled me to give it a go...and I've never been so pleased I said yes and took a risk on something in my life.
Peaky Blinders - The Redemption of Thomas Shelby opens in the trenches of Flanders and see's a personal story unfold in post-war industrial Birmingham, as the Shelby family navigate the decisions that determine their fate - and Tommy is intoxicated by mysterious newcomer, Grace.
If you've managed to miss the original, Peaky Blinders is an English crime drama created by Steven Knight. Set in Birmingham, it follows the exploits of a crime gang who are loosely based on a real-life gang of the same name, who were active in the city from the 1880s to the 1910s. The show premiered on 12 September 2013 and has fast become one of the most popular shows on TV, winning 3 BAFTA's from a total of 16 nominations.
First thing's first. Whilst this production uses the characters, the themes, the soundtrack and an amount of the narrative of the small screen equivalent, this isn't the highlights of a 6-series epic, on stage. In some respects this is a prequel meaning it sits well with fans of the show and newbies alike.
Now that's cleared up, the only thing that remains to say is this production is an outstanding, mind-blowing piece of performance art.
Rambert and Birmingham Hippodrome have excelled themselves, from start to finish. Peaky Blinders - The Redemption of Thomas Shelby is a loud, powerful, commanding and immersive piece of theatre which overpowers the audience from the first bar of the first piece of music. The staging was simple and elegant as well as functional and the lighting and audio was incredible.
What was pleasing to see was that this didn't become a tribute show, using the brand to badge-up an otherwise non-conforming piece. This is as edgy and relevant as it is beautiful and contemporary and isn't ballet dancer's in a flat cap just to get bums on seats. T
Each and every performer in the Rambert family is slick, rehearsed and exceptionally talented. Moving between styles, their strength lies in delivering, alongside the dance component, a narrative we could follow as an audience. Benjain Zephaniah's narration beautifully wove the show together, but the dancers story-telling prowess meant we didn't become lost along the way, which was welcomed.
The Redemption of Thomas Shelby goes above and beyond the expectations of ticket-holders to produce a world class piece of performance art that the cast, creatives and the city should be immensely proud of.
The show runs at Birmingham Hippodrome until Sunday 2nd October, before heading out on a UK tour. The show then returns to Birmingham in May 2023. For more information, or to get your tickets, head online to birminghamhippodrome.com.
