The Australian Ballet presents The Dream / Marguerite and Armand Tickets

The Dream Part one of our Frederick Ashton double-bill is The Dream, an airy, romantic work created to celebrate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth, and a homage to his play A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Set in an enchanted wood, Ashton’s ballet captures the play's themes of love and magic, exploring a poetic space of imagination away from the ‘everyday world.’ Set to Mendelssohn’s tender score, The Dream features vivid characters and a storyline transporting audiences to a realm where the human meets the supernatural.

Marguerite and Armand Created for, and made famous by, the legendary partnership of Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev in 1963, Marguerite and Armand brings the passion of a tragic affair between the doomed courtesan Marguerite and her lover Armand, framed through a series of flashbacks. Frederick Ashton created these roles from the passion that Fonteyn and Nureyev embodied when dancing together. In an Australian premiere, this work will equally serve as a vehicle for the artists of this company. Franz Liszt’s music pulses through each scene, including his famous Piano Sonata in B minor, enhancing the emotional intensity of this unforgettable ballet.

"Ashton played an integral role in shaping the repertoire of The Australian Ballet, so it seems appropriate to welcome Marguerite and Armand to the repertoire. Made famous by Fonteyn and Nureyev, this ballet will showcase the depth of the title roles through the dancers of this company." - David Hallberg

The Dream Choreography: Frederick Ashton

Music: Felix Mendelssohn arranged by John Lanchbery

Costume and set design: David Walker

Lighting design: John B Read

Choreography: Frederick Ashton

With: Opera Australia Orchestra

Marguerite and Armand Choreography: Frederick Ashton

Music: Franz Liszt orchestrated by Dudley Simpson

Costume and set design: Sir Cecil Beaton

Lighting design: John B Read

With: Opera Australia Orchestra