Tristan + Isolde

The origins of Tristan und Isolde, one of the oldest known European love stories, lie far back in the mists of time. This Celtic legend tells of a magic spell that ensnares Isolde, princess of Ireland,  and Tristan,

her enemy and the man entrusted to bring her to England to marry the king. Their burgeoning love cannot be destroyed. This is a bond too strong for earthly powers to break. Neither Tristan’s loyalty to his uncle, King Mark, nor Isolde’s feelings of guilt towards her dead lover can temper their attraction to one another. At the heart of the story of Tristan and Isolde is one thing, and one thing only: a bottomless, eternal, burning love.

Following countless novels, Richard Wagner’s opera of the same name as well as film adaptations, these immortal lovers have now been recast through the ballet vocabulary of David Dawson. The first narrative ballet of this multi-award winning choreographer was Giselle, now, together with the Polish composer Szymon Brzóska, he tackles this ancient myth. David Dawson’s typically elegant style, underscored by the modern, heart-rending sounds of Brzóska’s new composition, will breathe new life into this enduring love story.

David Dawson on the topicality of his adaptation: “Tristan + Isolde tells the tragic story of finding and losing true love, of meeting your ideal partner and then being forced apart by moral and social constrictions. When you look at the world today, these problems still exist: the world around you imparts signals about how you should live, while your heart sometimes tells you something completely different. The heart knows no prejudice, rules or boundaries. We don’t choose who we fall in love with. But we sometimes forget to listen to our hearts. We are so busy trying to survive the rules, trying to be a part of the race that characterises the world today, that we do not take care of love, and always judge people who are different. Tristan and Isolde remind us that love has to be stronger than boundaries and rules.”