Last Updated on September 24, 2025
A Joyful Escape to Rural Spain with Don Quixote
The programme for Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Don Quixote at Sadler’s Wells notes that this is one of Carlos Acosta’s favourite ballets. His adaptation of the original choreography by Marius Petipa to Ludwig Minkus’ score is clearly a labour of love and one which he himself explained had faced constant interruption over the last few years thanks to the challenges of Covid. What he’s achieved is a welcome evening of laughter and smiles, the dancing was no less for the sheer entertainment on stage. That balance between technically brilliant dance and entertainment is something often forgotten – but getting it right makes for an all round wonderful experience.
Of course, the story is famous. In Tom Rogers, we find the quintessential Don Quixote, beautifully characterised, poised and charming and yet somehow living in a world of his own. Kit Holder as his squire, Sancho Panza, is a comic character who engages wonderfully with the corp and other soloists.
The ballet starts with the duo preparing to set off in search of Dulcinea, the fantasy woman that Quixote dreams of making his own. Charming, comic and elegantly staged, it’s a moment to immerse ourselves in Quixote’s world.
The hapless pair find themselves in the town square where we are introduced to Kitri (Momoko Hirata) and Basilio (Mathias Dingman), Throughout the ballet this pair danced brilliantly, with Hirata’s delicate yet athletic dancing matched by the powerful jumps and lifts from Dingman. Dancing from Kitri’s friends (Miki Mizutani and Yaoqian Shang) charms us throughout the ballet while the corp as townspeople and matadors create a true sense of Spanish fiesta.
Despite the merriment, Kitri’s father, Lorenzo (Jonathan Payn) is trying to marry her off to Gamache (Rory Mackay) who wins the prize for the best costume in my book, resplendent in a yellow and blue outfit of wig, jacket and pants. Kitri and Basilio run off, pursued by Lorenzo and Gamache, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
Act II opens in a Gypsy encampment. More stunning dancing from the Gypsy Couple (Emma Price and Javier Rojas) with four guitarists on stage, creating a convincing camp-out on stage at Sadler’s Wells.
Perhaps the most mesmerising part of this scene though is the moment when the windmill appears to grow arms. Don Quixote is, of course, dreaming. But the stunning lighting and video effects (Peter Mumford and Nina Dunn) are convincing enough to draw gasps from the audience. When Quixote attacks the imaginary monster he sees, he’s injured and falls into a dream-like sleep. The ensuing ‘Garden of the Dryads’ is a charming and quirky scene, with wonderful quirky yet precise and immaculate dancing by Amour (Tzu-Chao Chou) and beautiful moments from The Queen of the Dryads (Yu Kurihara) and the corp.
Although Don Quixote is visited again by Dulcinea, he wakes from his dream and realises his search is not over.
Act III is set outside a tavern, with Lorenzo still trying to marry Kitri to Gamache. It’s only Basilio pretending to stab himself and Don Quixote forcing Lorenzo to accept the pair because Basilio is ‘dying’ that allows them to finally receive Lorenzo’s blessing. The lovers are united and Gamache is persuaded to marry one of the tavern girls. Meanwhile, the entire town prepares for the wedding. It’s a jubilant and triumphant end to a beautiful work, with a stunning pas de deux in the wedding scene where both Kitri and Basilio excel on all levels.
Apart from the sheer joy of this work, it provides an excellent showcase for the dancers from Birmingham Royal Ballet. There are so many excellent soloists it’s hard to pick individuals, but the matador scenes, with Brandon Lawrence, are technically immaculate and intense and the fandango couple, Emma Price with Max Maslen, capture the essence of Spanish dance tradition perfectly.
The Royal Ballet Sinfonia conducted by Paul Murphy provide the perfect accompaniment and I particularly enjoyed the guitar quartet which I believe featured original music from Hans Vercauteren who was also responsible for the 2022 arrangement of Minkus’s score.
This is a performance where you’ll leave smiling – and where you’ll also have seen a stunning new interpretation of Don Quixote with fabulous dancing from Birmingham Royal Ballet. Five stars from me!
This production runs from 6th – 9th July
Don Quixote
Birmingham Royal Ballet at Sadler’s Wells Theatre
Sadler’s Wells
Rosebery Ave,
London EC1R 4TN
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