Timeline Event » 1957 – Western Theatre Ballet established
Peter Darrell, an original member of Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet, left the company in 1947 to dance in musicals whilst choreographing for Marie Rambert’s Ballet Workshop amongst other...
companies » Western Theatre Ballet
In The Prisoners, Peter Darrell’s work for Western Theatre Ballet in 1957, two convicts escape from prison, one to his death, and the other to a life of enslavement to his friend’s wife. The...
Timeline Event » 1963 – Premiere of Peter Darrell’s Mods and Rockers ’63 by Western Theatre Ballet danced to music by The Beatles
Among the choreographers who have created works from the music of The Beatles was Peter Darrell, who specialised in narrative storytelling through classical ballet. In 1963 he created a ‘beat...
Timeline Event » 1969 – Scottish Theatre Ballet (later Scottish Ballet) established
In 1969, Peter Darrell accepted an invitation to relocate the company he opened with Elizabeth West – Western Theatre Ballet – to Glasgow, becoming Scottish Theatre Ballet. This marked...
Timeline Event » 1969 – Northern Dance Theatre (later Northen Ballet Theatre) formed
Canadian-born Laverne Meyer studied at the Rambert School and The Royal Ballet School, joining Western Theatre Ballet in 1957, where he danced principal roles before eventually becoming assistant...