Last Updated on June 9, 2026
A Celebration of “a True Man of the Theatre”
Dancer, teacher, artistic director, choreographer – Sir Peter Wright is a towering, inspirational figure in British ballet, “a true man of the theatre”, in the words of Royal Ballet director Kevin O’Hare. As he turns 100-years-old this year (25 November), Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) is holding a special gala to celebrate the landmark birthday of its former director, on whom the company President, Princess Margaret, bestowed the honorary title of Director Laureate.
Introducing the gala, the current artistic director of BRB, the Cuban superstar Carlos Acosta, said: “There are no words to explain the scale of Sir Peter’s contribution to the heritage, history and legacy not only of Birmingham Royal Ballet, but the art form as a whole.”
Sir Peter is best known to present-day audiences through his meticulous, insightful productions of the classics – The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Coppélia – all of which are mainstays of BRB’s repertoire, and indeed of many other companies internationally. But his own history in ballet goes a lot further.
It all started with Les Sylphides:
Taken by his mother to see a performance of the plotless Romantic ballet, which depicts the encounter between a poet and a group of forest sylphs, 16-year-old Peter determined he would be a dancer, much to his Quaker father’s displeasure.
Turned down by Dame Ninette de Valois when he auditioned for her school, he made the fateful decision to become an apprentice with Ballet Jooss led by the German choreographer Kurt Jooss, whom Sir Peter credits with shaping his understanding of choreography: movement for its own sake has no importance, one must have something to communicate, and choreography is as much about ideas as it is about steps.
Jooss created a number of expressionist works, among them The Green Table. Dating from 1932, it’s a powerful, still immensely relevant, indictment of the futility of war; it made such an impression that Sir Peter asked for it to be included in the 100th birthday gala – it will be the work’s first performance in 35 years.
On that unique occasion, Carlos Acosta will dance Death.
The key figure in the establishment of ballet in England was the indomitable Ninette de Valois, known to all her dancers simply as “Madam”; and Madam it was who gave Wright his first directorship, that of the Sadler’s Wells Opera Ballet in 1955. Wright later left to work with John Cranko in Stuttgart, where he choreographed several works, but more importantly, brought this directorial talent to bear on the uber-Romantic ballet Giselle.
Wright’s seminal production of Giselle was subsequently staged by BRB and many companies across the world; it remains one of The Royal Ballet’s signature works.
The production illustrates his approach to the 19th-century classics: to find ways of making their stories make sense, find the intention behind them and convey it through limpid dancing and mime. Kevin O’Hare stresses “his dedication to sustaining the vitality and relevance of the art form” and adds: “his choreographic storytelling gifts combined with his affinity for coaching have produced memorable performances in abundance.”
In the late 60s, Wright returned to The Royal Ballet, where he worked side by side with the then director Kenneth MacMillan; he was subsequently appointed director of Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, which would be renamed as Birmingham Royal Ballet when Wright spearheaded its move to the West Midlands city. He remained BRB director until his retirement in 1995.
Sir Peter’s most widely performed production is The Nutcracker, the Christmas staple for both The Royal Ballet and BRB, its magic as evident in The Royal Ballet’s sumptuous production as in BRB’s immensely creative touring version.
The gala staged by BRB will include extracts from some of Sir Peter’s most cherished productions: the Act III Polonaise and Grand pas de deux from The Sleeping Beauty.
Also included are Giselle Act II pas de deux, grand highlights from Swan Lake, culminating in the virtuoso fireworks of the Black Swan pas de deux, and Coppélia pas de deux and Franz solo from Act III, choreographed by Sir Peter.
All of the above barely scratches the surface of Sir Peter Wright’s fabulously interesting life – he chronicled it, with his trademark mordant wit and not a little mischief, in his 2016 autobiography, Wrights and Wrongs.
I’ll end as I started with the words of Kevin O’Hare: “It is impossible to imagine British ballet in its current form without the passion, commitment and determination Peter has demonstrated in carrying forward Madam’s vision, both for The Royal Ballet companies and for classical ballet as a whole. Above all, Peter remains a constant source of inspiration, a true man of the theatre in every sense.”
Birmingham Royal Ballet Marks Sir Peter’s Centenary with a special Gala on 18 June at 7/30 pm
Tickets £25 to £55
Birmingham Hippodrome
South Side
Hurst Street
Birmingham B5 4TB
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