BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET – DON QUIXOTE – Review

Mayflower Theatre – Southampton until 18^th April

Review: P Hayward 15^th April 2026

Southampton is very fortunate that Mayflower Theatre have strong connections with the world of dance. Each year the theatre welcomes many diverse dance companies from around the world and in recent years most have been eclipsed by a visit from Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB). This year is no exception, Carlos Acosta’s production of Ludwig Minkus and Marius Petipa’s ballet Don Quixote has returned, even more splendid than when it premiered at Mayflower Theatre back in 2022.

Since Don Quixote first opened in 1869 at the Bolshoi in Moscow a number of companies around the world have added it to their repertoire. The last major production in Britain was at the Royal Opera House in 2013, when Carlos Acosta created a new production. This time he has gone even further and what unfolded was a treat for the eyes, the ears, in fact the senses. If people think of BRB as a regional touring company, then think again. This production is as big as it can get. First, you have the full company of 60 dancers, then you have the entire Royal Ballet Sinfonia, all 60 musicians in the pit, and then the seldom seen total expanse of the Mayflower stage.

The story is quite complex for a ballet, but here Costa Acosta has made it totally self-explanatory, at no time during this production are you left wondering who? what? or why? For simple souls like me that is important. The story starts with Don Quixote (Dominic Antonucci) and servant Sancho Panza (played as a comic aside by Alfie-Lee Hall), Don Quixote lost in dreams of the lady Dulcinea (Daria Stanciulescu). We’re then off to the town square, where the lovers, Basilio (Mathias Dingman) and Kitri (Momoko Hirata) stand up to Lorenzo, Kitri’s father (Jonathan Payne) who threatens, no money, no wife. A ridiculous foppish nobleman Gamache (Rory Mackay) also has intentions for Kitri, while Don Quixote conflates Kitri with his Dulcinea (Daria Stanciulescu).

Escaping the family conflict the lovers escape and find themselves in a gypsy camp only to be joined by Don Quixote, Sancho Panza, Lorenzo and Gamache. It is while here that Don Quixote’s dreams take on a new perspective as a nearby windmill becomes a monster that has to be thwarted. While recovering from his consequent injuries the Queen of the Dryads (Lucy Waine) brings Dulcinea back to Don Quixote’s dreams. Basilio and Kitri return to the town and celebrate their homecoming with their friends in a local tavern. But things do not go according to plan and incident follows incident until the inevitable happens and we return to the town square where our pair of lovers tie the knot and a highly satisfied Don Quixote sets off on another quest of chivalry.

The pairing of Mathias Dingman and Momoko Hirata as Basilio and Kitri is genius, it is one of the best partnerships I can ever remember witnessing, both from the dancing and from the characterisation perspectives – absolutely believable, perfection together and sheer magnificence when dancing their solos. Acosta’s choreography builds characterisation into each routine and so each set of dancers have their own personalities and this adds to the depth of the overall storytelling.

The design of this production puts this ballet into a class of its own. Tim Hatley’s sets and costumes show off the personae and skills of the dancers to absolute perfection. The lighting by Peter Mumford and video design by Nina Dunn ensure the extra level of dream like reality that the story conveys. The whole is brought together with perfection by Christopher Saunders’ staging.

In Acosta’s production there has been a new arrangement of Ludwig Minkus’s score by London based Belgian composer Hans Vercauteren who has also added some new music for the scene set around the fire in the gypsy camp. His arrangements to what is a magnificent, but seldom listened to score are incredible and beautifully interpreted by the incredible Royal Ballet Sinfonia, tonight conducted by Paul Murphy.

Needless to say everything ends as it should, with the audience leaving, after an incredible number of curtain calls, in raptures. This is a ballet like no other, it’s easy to see why this is one of Carlos Acosta’s favourites, it has certainly become one of mine. The music, the dancing, the characterisations are sublime. BRB must be rightfully proud of this achievement and yet again Southampton can say, London eat your heart out!