Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, adapted from Abbé Prévost’s 1731 novel Manon Lescaut, has been revived at the Royal Opera House for its 50th anniversary, running until 8 March. The original 1974 choreography of MacMillan, a former artistic director of the Royal Ballet who died in 1992, tells a familiar story – will Manon choose true love over a life of luxury? – accompanied by Leighton Lucas’s score, which was inspired by Jules Messenet’s operas and oratorios.
In the first act, the audience is thrown straight into the flurry of the petit allégro sequences, which introduce the star-crossed lovers, Manon (Francesca Hayward) and Des Grieux (Marcelino Sambé), as well as Manon’s brother Lescaut (Alexander Campbell), and the story’s villain Monsieur GM (Gary Avis).
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