BIRMINGHAM Royal Ballet’s new production of the classic Don Quixote will put a smile on faces and bring a touch of summer sunshine, promises company director and legendary Cuban performer Carlos Acosta.

The show, which comes to Mayflower Theatre next week, was premiered in 1869 and has been a key part of the world ballet repertoire ever since.

“Don Quixote is the best ballet to attend if you are not a ballet connoisseur,” Carlos says. “If you don’t know anything about ballet this is a great chance to learn something about it by watching Don Quixote. It appeals to family audiences, it is great for children because the story is easy to follow.

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“It’s very sunny and people will laugh a lot. The world of ballet is so full of tragedies, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet etcetera, they are all tragedies but in Don Quixote nobody dies, it’s a happy tale.

“The ballet is very exotic, it provides escapism into this amazing world of colour and the music has an amazing Spanish flavour. When it’s raining and cold then you want to come and see Don Quixote because it’s a sunshine ballet. It’s a great show - when you’ve seen it, you leave on a high.”

Daily Echo:

The ballet is based on Spain’s most famous novel – Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote which follows the adventures of the knight Don Quixote and his trusty servant Sancho Panza. The ballet focuses on one of the tales in the book – that of the young lovers Kitri and Basilio whose hopes to marry risk being thwarted by Kitri’s father who has other plans. But with Don Quixote a firm believer in true love, maybe he can help the young couple find happiness.

It is on stage in Southampton from Thursday (February 10) to Saturday (February 12).

  • Tickets are on sale now from mayflower.org.uk or 023 8071 1811.