Birmingham Royal Ballet will celebrate the 100th birthday of its Founding Director Laureate Sir Peter Wright with a special centenary gala performance at Birmingham Hippodrome on Thursday 18 June 2026.
Sir Peter established what is now Birmingham Royal Ballet in the city in 1990, transferring the company from London when it was formerly known as Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet.
During his tenure, he was responsible for some of the most cherished productions in the company’s repertoire, including The Nutcracker, Giselle, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Coppélia.
The centenary gala will feature highlights from several of these works, beginning with a défilé performed by students from Elmhurst Ballet School.
Further excerpts will include The Sleeping Beauty Act III Polonaise and Grand Pas de Deux, Coppélia’s Act III Pas de Deux and Franz solo, Giselle’s Act II Pas de Deux, and major highlights from Swan Lake, including the Black Swan Pas de Deux.
At Sir Peter’s request, the evening will conclude with Kurt Jooss’s The Green Table, one of his favourite ballets, last performed by Birmingham Royal Ballet in the early 1990s.
For one night only, Birmingham Royal Ballet Director Carlos Acosta will dance the role of Death in The Green Table, marking the first time he has performed the role.
Carlos Acosta said: “There are no words to explain the scale of Sir Peter’s contribution to the heritage, history and legacy of not only Birmingham Royal Ballet, but the art form as a whole. We couldn’t let his 100th year pass us by without celebration, and this very special evening will feature a sample of some of his most cherished productions that have been enjoyed by audiences across the globe since BRB’s beginnings back in 1990.
“At Sir Peter’s request, we will also be staging one of his favourite works – The Green Table – to mark the occasion. For the first time in nearly 35 years, it is an honour for BRB to be staging this extraordinarily relevant work. For one night only at the gala performance, I look forward to dancing the role of Death in this brave work.”
The centenary gala is followed on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June by 20th-Century Masterpieces, a triple bill featuring Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering, George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, and further performances of The Green Table.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
