Gentleman Jack – Leeds Grand Theatre

Northern Ballet’s world premiere of Gentleman Jack is an engaging, quirky and beautiful ballet that comfortably lands as the story of Anne Lister – the bold Yorkshire landowner and diarist who lived unapologetically on her own terms in the early 19th century, pursuing business, travel and romantic relationships with women while pushing firmly against the expectations of her time.

The first half is an action-packed assortment of key moments with excellent character demonstrations, repeated motifs and movements. The storytelling is clear and accessible, even for those unfamiliar with Anne Lister’s life, and the choreography allows the key characters to lead the movement in a really satisfying way. On occasion the ensemble work very slightly lacked the crispness and unity one might hope for, but this is likely to have been first night World Premiere nerves.

One of the most memorable sequences comes with the wonderfully inventive “teaography”, where teacups, saucers and spoons become part of the choreography in Lister’s Uncle’s house. It’s playful, inventive and genuinely funny, and helps bring a warmth to the production. There are several nicely judged comedic moments throughout that stop the story from becoming overly serious.

Gemma Coutts gives a commanding central performance as Anne Lister. Her physicality captures the character brilliantly, particularly in the distinctive, confident stride associated with the male gait – a deliberate, grounded walk that breaks away from the usual delicate, floating quality of classical ballet. It immediately establishes her as someone who moves through the world differently. Her facial expressions tell us everything – she is an incredibly communicative dancer through her whole body – but she connects with the audience with a rye glance, a cheeky look, a raised eyebrow in a way that brings us with her from the off.

George Liang as Christopher Rawson also deserves particular praise, delivering a strong and charismatic performance that adds real presence whenever he appears.

The duets between the women stand out – sensual, intimate and beautifully shaped, capturing the emotional intensity of Anne’s relationships without feeling overdone. It’s a production that doesn’t shy away from presenting queer romance with a real sense of physicality and connection, which gives the story a refreshing honesty on stage.

Visually, the production is often striking. Some of the costumes, such as those of Lister, Marianna (Saeka Shirai) and Rawson are outstanding, blending period silhouettes with more contemporary textures and materials that emphasise the movement of the dancers and add a slightly rebellious edge to the aesthetic thanks to the work of costume designer Louise Flanagan.

The second half, however, doesn’t quite maintain the same momentum, and the Paris sequence is something of a let-down in several respects. Narratively, Anne’s time in Paris is meant to be a formative chapter in her life – a period of sexual exploration that shapes the person she becomes. Yet the choreography here feels surprisingly tame, almost overly PG. The costumes don’t evoke Paris so much as a children’s dance recital, and the setting itself is oddly formal and rather un-French, later appearing again as the backdrop for a ballroom scene back in Yorkshire.

It’s particularly noticeable because the story suggests Anne returns from Paris transformed and radiant. Every fibre of Gemma Coutts’ performance communicates that shift through her movement and expression, but visually the effect is undermined slightly by the fact that the costume remains the same – a small but noticeable missed opportunity.

The production does, however, finish on a striking note. The final image sees Anne striding forward on a travelator before coming to a halt, framed within a huge gold portrait frame. It leaves the audience with an iconic image of this bold and fearless woman – someone who refused to conform and wasn’t afraid to challenge the status quo.

While the first half ultimately proves slightly stronger than the second, Gentleman Jack is a compelling and inventive piece of storytelling, full of warmth, humour and moments of genuine beauty.