1971 – Premiere of Peter Darrell’s Giselle by Scottish Theatre Ballet

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First performed in 1970 at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, for his Giselle Peter Darrell directed an unusually logical treatment of the drama and adapted the traditional choreography to fit a score that excluded all the additional passages not composed by Adolphe Adam. The dramatic qualities were intensified by setting it against a background of mediaeval superstition. The traditional choreography was by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, reproduced by Joyce Graeme, and Adam’s music was arranged by Humphrey Searle. Peter Cazalet designed the sets and costumes, and the ballet was led by Elaine McDonald and Brian Burn.

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