Skip to main content
A danseur dressed as a plant.

The Dream / Marguerite and Armand

10 – 25 November 2023

In the Joan Sutherland Theatre

The Australian Ballet

Dance

A double bill from Frederick Ashton, featuring The Dream; an airy, romantic homage to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Marguerite and Armand; a tragic love affair of pure passion.

A double bill by Frederick Ashton

Marguerite and Armand

Part one of this Frederick Ashton double bill is Marguerite and Armand. Created for, and made famous by, the legendary partnership of Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev in 1963, Marguerite and Armand brings the passion of a tragic affair between the doomed courtesan Marguerite and her lover Armand, framed through a series of flashbacks. Frederick Ashton created these roles from the passion that Fonteyn and Nureyev embodied when dancing together. In an Australian premiere, this work will equally serve as a vehicle for the artists of this company. Franz Liszt’s music pulses through each scene, including his famous Piano Sonata in B minor, enhancing the emotional intensity of this unforgettable ballet.

The Dream

The Dream is an airy, romantic work created to celebrate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth, and a homage to his play A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Set in an enchanted wood, Ashton’s ballet captures the play's themes of love and magic, exploring a poetic space of imagination away from the ‘everyday world.’ Set to Mendelssohn’s tender score, The Dream features vivid characters and a storyline transporting audiences to a realm where the human meets the supernatural.

Presented by The Australian Ballet, with Opera Australia Orchestra

A danseur and a ballerina doing ballet.

Watch the trailer

Ashton played an integral role in shaping the repertoire of The Australian Ballet, so it seems appropriate to welcome Marguerite and Armand to the repertoire. Made famous by Fonteyn and Nureyev, this ballet will showcase the depth of the title roles through the dancers of this company.

David Hallberg, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet

Production credits

Marguerite and Armand

Choreography 
Frederick Ashton

Music 
Franz Liszt orchestrated by Dudley Simpson

Costume and set design 
Sir Cecil Beaton

Lighting design 
John B Read

 

The Dream

Choreography
Frederick Ashton

Music 
Felix Mendelssohn arranged by John Lanchbery

Costume and set design 
David Walker

Lighting design 
John B Read

Choreography 
Frederick Ashton

Other information

You may also like

Cinderella

2 Jan – 28 Mar 2025

Feel all the magic of the fairy tale with enchanting music, playful choreography and extravagant costumes in this whimsical production of the classic opera.

  • Opera

La Traviata

23 Jan – 27 Mar 2025

Glamour, riches and a tragic secret: this is the story of a courtesan falling in love. Classic opera with stunning costumes and outstanding music.

  • Opera
Woman in gold ballgown stands away from other partygoers

Nijinsky

4 – 22 Apr 2025

Acclaimed narrative ballet choreographer John Neumeier examines Nijinsky’s final performance, charting the rise and fall of a creative genius in vivid detail. He recalls his troubled family, his ill-fated romances and the transcendent performances that brought him fame.

  • Dance

Checking availability