The Prince of the Pagodas

Kenneth MacMillan's 'Prince of the Pagodas' hasn't been performed by the Royal Ballet since 1996 but outgoing director Monica Mason is reviving the ballet for her final season. MacMillan is best known for dark psychological drama but this one's different, a fairytale narrative (emperor, princess, magical journey etc) set in an exotic 'eastern' land where two sisters – one goody-two-shoes, one a foxy minx – vie for control of their father's kingdom. It's not exactly a classic but there's some tricksy and intriguing choreography and fantastic set and costume design by Nicholas Georgiadis recalling a 'Blackadder'-esque style you might call 'Elizabethan grotesque'. Plus there's a court full of monkeys and a gamelan-inspired score by Benjamin Britten.