‘Haunting yet moving’: The English National Ballet’s Giselle stuns the Bristol Hippodrome

While I certainly will not proclaim I am an expert on ballet – in fact, quite the opposite – this is certainly not how I imagined a traditional ballet would play out.

The story is a relatively simple one. It is a dramatic tale of a love which is interrupted by the Landlords, who have control over everything and reveal the heart-breaking truth to Giselle as she discovers her lover is otherwise engaged.

Giselle’s life falls apart in front of our eyes and after her fall from grace, we follow her battle between death and her presence in the ghost factory.

The talent on display is truly phenomenal and the first act is certainly not ballet as you might expect it to be presented.

There is a huge amount of ensemble work and Akram Khan’s choreography is pure perfection. But there is a slightly modern twist to the dance.

Hilarion, played by Cesar Corrales, is a character who tries to woo Giselle. He strikes up a relationship with the landlords for his – and his community’s – profit.

But his performance even has elements of what I would call 'street dance' in it with the movement of his body, and the high-tempo nature of some of the dances which he leads, resembling the most modern style.

The second act is something of a true spectacle and if you enjoy ballet, this will certainly leave you mesmerised.

A word to describe the company’s performance after the interval has to be haunting. The ghost world is revealed and the women from the afterlife all perform on point.

The strength needed to perform such high-intensity and yet dainty choreography while on point is truly mesmerising.

Their character-building is also perfect as there was an eery atmosphere, which you could feel throughout the theatre, as the women sought revenge for events which went before in their past life.

I genuinely felt an element of fear throughout the second act. Credit must, of course, also go to the live orchestra. The music was stunning and for someone who is not knowledgeable about ballet or classical music, I was impressed by how beautiful some of the scores were – but also how creepy the stage felt at times.

At one hour and 55 minutes, it was the perfect length as it is certainly an intense piece of theatre but I can guarantee it is one which you will not forget in a hurry.