Television success to stage triumph
It was a television series which entranced more than two million people over the course of its thirty episodes.
The bold narration of the Peaky Blinders story is now being recreated on stage – and anticipation is already growing ahead of its national tour.
The show is generating colossal interest ahead of its opening later this year ahead of its arrival on the Theatre Royal Plymouth stage in Spring, 2023.
Tickets are due to go on sale at the start of March and demand for them is expected to be high.
Inspired by the acclaimed television series, Contemporary Dance Company Rambert is working in association with Birmingham Hippodrome. The production is being co-produced with The Lowry.
Twenty permanent Rambert dancers will be performing on stage with a live band playing specially commissioned music.
For the uninitiated, Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby, is the story of gangsters operating in Birmingham during the 1920s.
The show starts in the trenches with anti-hero Tommy Shelby and his compatriots. Their return to Blighty at the end of World War One sees him reveal his cunning plans as he descends into a world of mayhem and violence.
Interpretation of Tommy’s story
‘Peaky Blinders has always had music and movement at its heart and now the beating heart of the show will be transferred to the stage, an interpretation of Tommy’s story performed by Rambert, one of the leading dance companies in the world,’ says Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders.
‘This is dance for people who don’t usually watch dance and what I’ve written has been transformed into something startling by consummate dancers and choreographers.’
‘If the concept of a Peaky Blinders dance seems strange, reserve judgement and reserve a ticket.’
The staging of Peaky Blinders is already being billed as the first of its kind production. It’s due to open in September at the Birmingham Hippodrome (ahead of a London premiere in October).
‘Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby is something on a scale we’ve never done before, and I couldn’t be more ready for the challenge,’ says Benoit Swan Pouffer, Rambert’s Artistic Director.
‘It’s such an exciting opportunity as a choreographer to tell these stories and recreate these characters through dance. It is also a great collaborative opportunity to have been working closely with Steven Knight on this original production.’
‘What you’re going to get as a result will be an inspiring and uplifting dance show, but so much more than a dance show. There is of course a strong narrative, that of Tommy and the Peaky Blinders so it is dance, and it is also theatre.’
‘And with such iconic music from a live-onstage band, it is more again. I can’t wait to bring these hugely popular characters to the stage here in Birmingham, then on tour to audiences around the country.’
Rambert’s CEO and the Executive Producer of Rambert, Helen Shute, says, ‘Rambert has always been committed to making dance that resonates with audiences across the country and we’re incredibly honoured to be trusted by Steven Knight with his nationally beloved Peaky Blinders.’
‘It’s so fitting that we start the journey in Birmingham, where Rambert has been touring to since the 1930s. We look forward to welcoming a new generation of audiences to theatres with a story that speaks to so many people.’
The show will follow the passionate romance of Tommy Shelby and Grace Burgess. He is busy building his Empire while she continues her undercover mission as a Special Branch agent who’s tasked with getting closer to the heart of his gang.
‘We are delighted to be partnering with Rambert on the creation and world premiere of Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby,’ says Chris Sudworth, Director of Artistic Programme at Birmingham Hippodrome.
‘The opportunity to collaborate on a production that is so synonymous with our city is incredibly exciting and we cannot wait for audiences to experience the thrill of seeing the well-known characters from the show come to life on our stage in this sensational adaptation by Steven Knight.’
Break Time News is grateful for the usage of footage supplied by Peaky Blinders TM © Caryn Mandabach Productions 2022. Licensed by Caryn Mandabach Productions.