By order of the Peaky Blinders we took our seats, were warned no fighting – then the curtain went up for opening night of Rambert Dance Group’s production Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby.
If like us you were thinking, how can you make a complex gangster show like Peaky Blinders into a dance production? But it worked, and it worked really well – this production portrayed all the darkness, emotion and complexity of the original story of Brummie gangsters in a new and unique way. You can catch it until Saturday at Oxford’s New Theatre.
Rambert has taken on what is essentially a violent and dark story but created something that’s beautiful to watch, every movement timed to perfection. It’s a feast for the eyes and senses. The dancing was fast and furious – it felt like limbs were whizzing around the stage. The dark and atmospheric set, the music and the stage at different heights just added to the sense of danger. We were convinced someone would miss their step and fall.
The show opened in the trenches of the First World War with soldiers crawling, marching, fighting, surviving and dying. There were a few gruesome moments at the start – blood and guts, and a scalping – to which there was an audible gasp from the audience. We pick up the lives of Thomas Shelby (Conor Kerrigan), his brothers Arthur (Dylan Tedaldi) and John (Tom Davis-Dunn), as they return to Birmingham and are reunited with Aunt Polly (Simone Damberg Wurtz) the family matriarch, and sister Ada (Adel Balint), who have been running the ‘family business’ during the war.
But Tommy and his Brothers in Arms have returned from the war changed men, suffering shellshock from what they saw – and did! The gangster business is tough, different gangs vying to be on top, but Tommy and his men are dead inside so nothing will stop them! And then he meets Grace (Naya Lovell) and is blinded by passion, she has an ulterior motive in getting to know Tommy, but her heart it won over, and then tragedy strikes.
In act two, the pace slows and Tommy sinks to new depths, he turns to opioids to block out memories of the war and the pain of bereavement. We loved how Tommy and the veterans brought this scene to life. The way they used their bodies, leaning forward and back (when the rest of us would fall over), controlling every move and muscle as they battled their demons and called for death.
There’s so much to see in this show and we haven’t covered half of it. The fighting scenes were mesmerising, and dancers were powerful and frankly outstanding, the music powerful, they all deserved every clap of their standing ovation.
Final mention must go to the band Yarron Engler (drums, percussion, vocals), Joe Downard (cello, bass, vocals), Mitchel Emms (vocals, guitar, keys) who between them created a marvellously dark, strong, moody and atmospheric score.
If you do one thing this week then catch this show now at the New Theatre, Oxford until Saturday 19th October.
You can read my interview with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight
For more information and tickets view https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/peaky-blinders-the-redemption-of-thomas-shelby/new-theatre-oxford/
