Last Updated on June 13, 2026
An evocative dance-theatre meditation with stunning musical accompaniment.
4.7 out of 5.0 starsThe haunting music of Pierrot Lunaire, written in 1912 for a singer and a small group of instrumentalists, sets 21 poems by the Belgian poet Albert Giraud (in German translation) to music. Three sets of seven poems revolve around Pierrot, the clown from commedia dell’arte. It’s a landmark work, atonal and using Sprechstimme, a vocal style halfway between speaking and singing, championed by Schoenberg, in which the singer starts on the written pitch but immediately slides into speech. It polarised the first audiences and established itself as a landmark work in 20th-century modernism.
Fast forward fifty years to find the American Choreographer Glen Tetley creating a dance interpretation of the work, one that parallels Schoenberg’s music through dance, drawing on both classical ballet and modern dance to create a 45-minute work that was a pioneering fusion bridging two dance forms at a time when they were still largely separate. First performed in 1962 by Tetley’s own company, this Royal Ballet revival of Pierrot Lunaire at the Linbury Theatre celebrates the centenary of Glen Tetley’s birth. A work that had autobiographical elements for Tetley, who identified with the defenceless and insecure Pierrot, it seems a fitting tribute.
Tetley’s Pierrot is a whimsical character, a baker’s apprentice who is covered in white flour. Brilliantly danced last night by Royal Ballet soloist Joshua Junker with sensitivity and expressiveness, it was hard not to sympathise with this emotionally fragile character, obsessed with women and impressed by the evil but debonair Brighella (Patricio Revé). The role of Pierrot is one which Tetley originally danced himself. With intensely theatrical choreography, the dancer is at times an acrobat, hanging from a central tower, and at times a mime artist, with exaggerated facial expressions and grotesque twists and turns that encapsulate the tradition of commedia dell’arte in this short ballet.
His love interest, Columbine, the Inamorata, was danced by Natalia Osipova, appearing in three different guises, each apparently equally appealing to Pierrot. From a quirky and flirtatious washerwoman, to an ethereal moon maiden and then finally as the red-basqued seductress with a touselled mop of titian curls, Osipova was flawless.
Brighella, as danced by Patricio Revé, carried a seductive menace that formed a dark counterweight to Pierrot’s vulnerability. In their duet, the sensitive clown’s desire to be drawn into Brighella’s world was written plainly in every step. Paired with Osipova, Revé’s magnetism only intensified, sharpening the character’s dangerous allure. Even when he finally took on Pierrot’s costume, he remained unmistakably himself—the masked intriguer, elegant and unsettling to the last.
Perfectly balanced with the choreography, a stellar group of musicians delivered an evocative and compelling performance of Schoenberg’s score for Pierrot Lunaire that, for me, would have been enough in its own right to warrant the price of admission. Alexandra Lowe sang with mellifluous lyricism and a haunting timbre, immaculate diction, and a brilliant, if subtle, Sprechstimme. The cello, Schoenberg’s own instrument, played by Jonathan Aasgaard, and the flute (Philip Rowson), were both notable for their expressive interpretation and the ensemble was immaculately coordinated by conductor Yi Wei. A concert-worthy performance.
This production of Pierrot Lunaire benefits from Christopher Bruce’s presence as principal coach. He danced the title role with Ballet Rambert in 1967, and his interpretation of the part, learned directly from Tetley himself, proved to be seminal. The current production, with a simple historical set and costumes from Rouben Ter-Arutunian and expressive lighting from John B. Reed, feels contemporary enough despite being over fifty years old. There’s nothing museum-like here, just a great work demonstrating a unique and compelling expressionist dance. There are two casts – the equally strong alternative trio of dancers comprises Marcelino Sambe as Pierrot, Mayara Magri as Columbine and Matthew Ball as Brighella. I’m sufficiently intrigued now to wish I could see them dance, too.
Pierrot Lunaire runs until 20th February in the Linbury, and unsurprisingly, every performance is currently sold out. Whether you love Schoenberg or Glen Tetley’s choreography, it’s worth checking for returns to experience 45 minutes of brilliantly executed expressionism, both on the stage and from the pit.
The Royal Ballet
PIERROT LUNAIRE
Linbury Theatre
10 – 20 February 2026
Royal Opera House
Bow Street
London
WC2E 9DD
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