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English National Ballet in Kenneth MacMillan’s Sleeping Beauty © Photography by ASH

English National Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty: mixed results at the RAH

By Amanda Jennings, 25 June 2026

Video projections in the Royal Albert Hall enhance MacMillan’s Sleeping Beauty for English National Ballet but the lack of real set and wings makes the stage seem bare and bleak.

***11

***11

London

25 Jun 2026

English National Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty: mixed results at the RAH

By Amanda Jennings

Melissa Hamilton as Mary Vetsera and Matthew Ball as Crown Prince Rudolf in MacMillan's Mayerling © 2026 RBO, Tristram Kenton

London

The Royal Ballet’s Mayerling: violent, feral, tortured dance

By Graham Watts, 30 March 2026

In this latest revival of Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling, The Royal Ballet presents a roster of powerful and vivid interpretations across the board.

****1

****1

London

30 Mar 2026

The Royal Ballet’s Mayerling: violent, feral, tortured dance

By Graham Watts

Ayako Ono as Manon and Yudai Fukuoka as Des Grieux in MacMillan's Manon © Takashi Shikama

Tokyo

National Ballet of Japan's revival of MacMillan's Manon was devastatingly good

By Naomi Mori, 19 March 2026

National Ballet of Japan in Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon has been revived six years after its performances were cancelled because of the pandemic. Exceptionally good interpretations led the opening night performance.

****1

****1

Tokyo

19 Mar 2026

National Ballet of Japan's revival of Manon was devastatingly good

By Naomi Mori

Sangeun Lee as Aurora with English National Ballet in Sir Kenneth MacMillan's The Sleeping Beauty © Isabella Turolla

Southampton

ENB’s The Sleeping Beauty: disappointing cuts skew the story

By Jonathan Gray, 27 November 2025

English National Ballet's revival of the Tchaikovsky classic The Sleeping Beauty, disappoints at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton.

***11

***11

Southampton

27 Nov 2025

ENB’s The Sleeping Beauty: disappointing cuts skew the story

By Jonathan Gray

Natalia Osipova as Juliet and Patricio Revé as Romeo with The Royal Ballet in Romeo and Juliet © Andrej Uspenski/RBO

London

The Royal Ballet's Romeo and Juliet: electrifying on-stage chemistry in a sensational debut

By Deborah Weiss, 05 May 2025

A compelling performance of MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet from an excellent cast, proves to be a triumph for Patricio Revé, debuting with the Company and paired with Natalia Osipova.

*****

*****

London

05 May 2025

The RB's Romeo and Juliet: electrifying on-stage chemistry

By Deborah Weiss

Matthew Ball (Romeo) and Yasmine Naghdi (Juliet) © RBO | Andrej Uspenski

London

Yasmine Naghdi’s Juliet pierces the heart as MacMillan’s masterpiece returns

By Mark Pullinger, 04 March 2025

“But, soft, what light through yonder window breaks?” Yasmine Naghdi reaches new interpretative depths in this revival of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s classic Romeo and Juliet.

****1

****1

London

04 Mar 2025

Naghdi’s Juliet pierces the heart as MacMillan’s masterpiece returns

By Mark Pullinger

Cavan Conley as Lescaut in Kenneth MacMillan's Manon © Lindsay Thomas

San Francisco

A Manon premiere opens San Francisco Ballet’s 2025 season

By Terez Rose, 24 January 2025

Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Manon is an unforgettable, stunning production – a classic well worth seeing.

****1

****1

San Francisco

24 Jan 2025

A Manon premiere opens San Francisco Ballet’s 2025 season

By Terez Rose

Hugo Marchand as Crown Prince Rudolf in Kenneth MacMillan's Mayerling © Maria Helena Buckley

Paris

Paris Opera Ballet: a superlative Mayerling

By Naomi Mori, 06 November 2024

Paris Opera Ballet has triumphantly revived Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling, two years after its company premiere in 2022.

****1

****1

Paris

06 Nov 2024

Paris Opera Ballet: a superlative Mayerling

By Naomi Mori

Catherine Hurlin as Juliet and Calvin Royal III as Romeo in MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet © Rosalie O'Connor

New York City

ABT's Romeo and Juliet succeeds with strong dance actors

By Ivy Lin, 13 July 2024

I have a theory that Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet is a perfect starter ballet. It is harder for experienced ballet regulars to work up the same enthusiasm for this ballet.

***11

***11

New York City

13 Jul 2024

ABT's Romeo and Juliet succeeds with strong dance actors

By Ivy Lin

Myriam Ould-Braham as Manon and Mathieu Ganio as Des Grieux in MacMillan's Manon © Hidemi Seto

Tokyo

Paris Opera Ballet’s Manon: phenomenal performances in Tokyo

By Naomi Mori, 17 February 2024

The Paris Opera Ballet gave excellent performances of Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, with strong lead dancers, depicting 18th century demi-monde society, which is not so far removed from the 21st century.

****1

****1

Tokyo

17 Feb 2024

Paris Opera Ballet’s Manon: phenomenal performances in Tokyo

By Naomi Mori

Francesca Hayward as Manon with The Royal Ballet in Kenneth MacMillan's Manon © Foteini Christofilopoulou

London

Manon: The Royal Ballet's magnificent revival

By Jonathan Gray, 17 January 2024

Kenneth MacMillan’s 50 year old ballet, Manon, holds up a mirror to our own times.

*****

*****

London

17 Jan 2024

Manon: The Royal Ballet's magnificent revival

By Jonathan Gray

Natalia Osipova (Mary Vetsera) and Ryoichi Hirano (Rudolf) © ROH | Helen Maybanks

London

Sex, scandal and Sisi: MacMillan's Mayerling opens Royal Ballet season

By Mark Pullinger, 05 October 2022

Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Habsburg history lesson comes with a cast list as long as your arm, but the plots and intrigues ensure a gripping evening at the ballet.

****1

****1

London

05 Oct 2022

Sex, scandal and Sisi: Mayerling opens Royal Ballet season

By Mark Pullinger

Budapest

Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Mayerling returns to Hungary in style

By Graham Watts, 14 March 2022

MacMillan's ballet returns to the Hungarian National Ballet in time for the Opera House's grand reopening.

****1

****1

Budapest

14 Mar 2022

Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Mayerling returns to Hungary in style

By Graham Watts

London

Marianela Núñez delivers outstanding versatility in Romeo and Juliet at Covent Garden

By Graham Watts, 10 January 2022

During her long career as a principal (19 years and counting), Juliet has never been an obvious pièce de résistance for Núñez. That is, until now.

*****

*****

London

10 Jan 2022

Marianela Núñez delivers outstanding versatility in Romeo and Juliet

By Graham Watts

London

Back to fair Verona: The Royal Ballet opens season with Romeo and Juliet

By Mark Pullinger, 05 October 2021

Francesca Hayward is a captivating Juliet as Sir Kenneth MacMillan's hardy perennial is back for another long run at the Royal Opera House.

***11

***11

London

05 Oct 2021

Back to fair Verona: Royal Ballet opens season with Romeo and Juliet

By Mark Pullinger

London

MacMillan’s Manon remains as irresistible as ever

By Mark Pullinger, 02 October 2019

The Royal Ballet season opens with a MacMillan favourite, his ballet adaptation of a novel more familiar for its operatic treatment.

****1

****1

London

02 Oct 2019

MacMillan’s Manon remains as irresistible as ever

By Mark Pullinger

London

Sweet sorrow: Matthew Ball and Lauren Cuthbertson dance a heart-rending Romeo and Juliet

By Mark Pullinger, 26 March 2019

As MacMillan's masterpiece nears its 500th performance by The Royal Ballet, a fresh run of performances opens with a new pairing in the lead roles.

****1

****1

London

26 Mar 2019

Sweet sorrow: a heart-rending Romeo and Juliet

By Mark Pullinger

London

The Royal Ballet opens the new season with Mayerling

By Graham Watts, 08 October 2018

A new season for The Royal Ballet and a new star is "born" in this performance that highlights the company's strength in depth

***11

***11

London

08 Oct 2018

The Royal Ballet opens the new season with Mayerling

By Graham Watts

London

Alina Cojocaru charms as Aurora in a Sleeping Beauty lacking lustre

By Mark Pullinger, 06 June 2018

A dutiful revival of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Sleeping Beauty from English National Ballet.

***11

***11

London

06 Jun 2018

Alina Cojocaru charms as Aurora in ENB's Sleeping Beauty

By Mark Pullinger

London

Francesca Hayward shines in The Royal Ballet's revival of Manon

By Graham Watts, 29 March 2018

Yet another revival of MacMillan's signature ballet. Enlivened by tremendous performances, not least in the title role, and still a classic. But, how long will that pertain?

***11

***11

London

29 Mar 2018

An outstanding performance by Francesca Hayward

By Graham Watts

Budapest

Hungarian National Ballet superb in Manon

By Graham Watts, 09 April 2017

A memorable Manon in Budapest

*****

*****

Budapest

09 Apr 2017

MacMillan's Manon* in Budapest

By Graham Watts

Redondo Beach

Spirited and focused: Los Angeles Ballet’s Don Quixote

By Teresa Heiland, 20 February 2016

In its 10th season, the steadfast and elegant Los Angeles Ballet impressed us with technical achievement, emotional expressivity, musicality, spirit, and focus in Don Quixote.

****1

****1

Redondo Beach

20 Feb 2016

Spirited and focused: Los Angeles Ballet’s Don Quixote

By Teresa Heiland

London

Lamb and McRae open The Royal Ballet's new season with Romeo and Juliet

By Margaret Willis, 19 September 2015

Sarah Lamb and Steven McRae star in MacMillan's much loved Romeo and Juliet, which opened the Royal Ballet's new season this weekend.

****1

****1

London

19 Sep 2015

Lamb and McRae open The Royal Ballet's season

By Margaret Willis

London

Opening the season at Royal Ballet: Manon

By Margaret Willis, 26 September 2014

Manon proves a wonderful start to the new season at Royal Ballet with Marianela Nuñez in the title role and Federico Bonelli as her lover.

****1

****1

London

26 Sep 2014

Manon: Fine start to the new season at Royal Ballet

By Margaret Willis

Paris

Rêves et délices du Casse-Noisette de Noureev à l'Opéra de Paris

By Laurine Mortha, 20 December 2023

Si la chorégraphie de Rudolf Noureev n'est pas la plus féerique, on ressort du ballet avec des étoiles dans les yeux, notamment grâce au duo formé par Paul Marque et Inès McIntosh.

****1

****1

Paris

20 Dec 2023

Rêves et délices du Casse-Noisette de Noureev à l'Opéra de Paris

By Laurine Mortha

Paris

La danse macabre de Mayerling entre au répertoire de l'Opéra de Paris

By Jade Larine, 25 October 2022

Drame sulfureux en trois actes s’inscrivant dans la veine des grandes fresques narratives léguées par MacMillan, Mayerling laisse un goût d'inachevé malgré la belle prestation du Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris.

***11

***11

Paris

25 Oct 2022

La danse macabre de Mayerling entre au répertoire de l'Opéra de Paris

By Jade Larine

Paris

Raymonda ou le retour de la danse : magistrale Dorothée Gilbert

By Laurine Mortha, 03 December 2019

Après plus de dix ans d’absence, le ballet classique Raymonda est de retour à l’Opéra de Paris dans la chorégraphie de Rudolf Noureev. Un réel moment de féérie et de délectation pour les amateurs de danse.

*****

*****

Paris

03 Dec 2019

Raymonda ou le retour de la danse : magistrale Dorothée Gilbert

By Laurine Mortha

Paris

Féérie à l’Opéra Bastille avec le Casse-Noisette de Rudolf Noureev

By Laurine Mortha, 26 November 2014

Le Casse-Noisette de Noureev (1985), qui s'inspire de la chorégraphie originale de Marius Petipa, reste proche de sa vision enchantée et de son folklore pétulant, aux forts accents slaves.

****1

****1

Paris

26 Nov 2014

Un Casse-noisette féérique

By Laurine Mortha