Giselle: Remix – Pleasance, London

Creators: Jack Sears and Hannah Grennell

Following instant sell-out success at the Royal Opera House, Jack Sears and Hannah Grennell’s production of Giselle: Remix is back in London; this time wowing audiences from Pleasance’s main stage. Packed to the brim with energetic choreography and spectacle, the show is an impressive experience to behold.

With strong emphasis on the word remix, Giselle: Remix is a very loose adaptation of the acclaimed ballet about love and loss. Heavily deconstructing the narrative of the source material, this production follows Sears who performs as the titular protagonist. In this version, however, Giselle’s struggle is to reconcile the alien world of queer sex and hook-up culture they encounter, with the classic 90’s rom-com relationships they grew up expecting.

While a clear through-line is not the production’s strongest attribute, there is plenty else for audiences to delight in; first and foremost: the dance routines. Not only is the dance troupe incredibly skilled, displaying a range of styles, but the relentless energy and commitment they display is breathtaking. Combined with an exciting and varied sound design by Rhys Cook (aka Oberon White), which ranges from nostalgic, to campy, to adrenaline-fuelled, the atmosphere is completely exhilarating.

Also earning raucous response from the audience is the costume design by Laura Rose Moran-Morris, which sees numerous stunning outfits displayed throughout Giselle’s journey. The drag presented throughout the evening is on top form. Guest performer Kit Green opens the show with masterful crowd-work, and the lip-syncing displayed throughout the show is expert in its accuracy and nuance.

Giselle: Remix is a fantastic celebration of queer culture and offers some deeply poignant thoughts in its final moments which rival even the most well-crafted script. There is little need to study the original ballet, in fact, it might even help if you don’t, because the joy and creativity which form the core of this production are universal.

Runs until 27 April 2024