Original Choreography & Direction for Pas de Dieux by Gene Kelly

Additional Choreography & Scenario by Christopher Hampson CBE

Artistic Collaboration by Patricia Ward Kelly

Review by Dominic Corr

Scottish Ballet

No matter hwo often some may think them separate siblings, cinema cannot keep but slipping a side-step into the space of it’s elder sister, theatre. Gliding into the rehearsal room, Starstruck at The Theatre Royal Glasgow welcomes it in with open arms. As too are audiences – who have been eagerly awaiting the official debut of Scottish Ballet’s revival of Gene Kelly’s Pas de Dieux, reimagined by Christopher Hampson CBE with Patricia Ward Kelly. A love letter to glamour, mythology, and the pull of performance, It is a production that understands the joy of spectacle yet never forgets the emotional pulse beneath the sequins.

Pulsing with the confidence of a production that knows how to charm an audience; the curtain rises on a world where backstage bustle collides with celestial mischief, where dancers chase perfection under the watchful eye of a choreographer who seems only half aware that the gods themselves are circling overhead. As the choreographer (tonight played by Principal Yuri Marques) searches for the perfect ballerina to embody Aphrodite in his new ballet; they vie for the role, each more determined than the last, while a harried pianist attempts to keep the room from descending into chaos. The ballet slips between the mortal world and Olympus, blending backstage tensions with divine mischief, all underscored by the lush music of George Gershwin, Maurice Ravel and Frédéric Chopin, performed live by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra.

What makes this revival so intoxicating is its ability to honour Gene Kelly’s original choreography while embracing a contemporary theatricality. Hampson’s direction is confident and playful, allowing the production to move effortlessly between Hollywood glamour and classical ballet. The expanded two‑act structure gives the narrative room to breathe, deepening the emotional stakes without losing the buoyant charm that defines Kelly’s work.

Visually, the production is a feast. Lez Brotherston OBE’s design conjures a world where rehearsal rooms melt into dreamscapes, where mirrors reflect not only dancers but their mythological counterparts. The costumes shimmer with Jazz Age elegance, and the lighting by Lawrie McLennan sculpts the stage with a cinematic precision that evokes both Parisian studios and celestial realms. The result is a ballet that feels both timeless and freshly minted, a rare balance achieved through meticulous craft which pays homage, which laying the track for a further life on its one accord.

The dancers themselves are the heartbeat of the evening. The Star Ballerina, performed with radiant poise and emotional clarity by Marlen Fuerte Castro, commands the stage with a presence that makes the space understand the truth in captivation; its intense, eon spanning power. Their movement is fluid yet grounded, capturing the duality of mortal dancer and goddess – and is only elevated in duets, or ensemble moments with the entire company. But few more so than Marques ‘s Choreographer, blends authority and vulnerability in their movement and point, providing a compelling counterpoint, his gestures revealing both artistic ambition and human longing.

The full troupe brings the world to life with precision and personality. Grace Horler, Anna Williams, and Melissa Parsons as the trio of auditioning ballerinas deliver moments of comedy and competitiveness, their interactions adding texture to the studio scenes. The mythological sequences, meanwhile, allow the company to revel in bold, expressive choreography that celebrates Kelly’s athleticism while embracing modern dynamism. The Scottish Ballet Orchestra elevates every moment, their performance lush and responsive, giving the dancers a musical landscape rich enough to inhabit fully.

Starstruck stands as a testament to the enduring power of movement, imagination and precise craft. From it’s original in Kelly’s, to the productions initial birth as a filmed variation, and erupting with this grand unveiling at The Theatre Royal Glasgow, Scottish Ballet transforms Kelly’s legacy into something both nostalgic and strikingly contemporary, a production that honours its origins while carving out its own identity with confidence. The dancers, designers and musicians work in rare harmony, creating a world that feels expansive, romantic and irresistibly alive. It is a ballet that celebrates the thrill of creation and the electricity of performance, leaving the audience with the unmistakable sense of having witnessed something crafted with extraordinary care and genuine affection, the kind of artistry that would have had Kelly himself tapping approvingly in the wings.

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