Review of Northern Ballet’s Merlin at Nottingham Theatre Royal

A spell of dance, magic and emotion, Northern Ballet’s Merlin brought the legend to life and turned magic into reality.

The ballet opened at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal on Tuesday night (October 15), and from start to finish it was a truly magical experience.

It tells the story of a young Merlin learning to control his powers and use them to bring peace to a kingdom torn apart by war. Along the way, we meet many familiar characters from Arthurian legend — the strong and mysterious Morgan le Fae, the noble Lady of the Lake, and King Uther, among others.

What really stood out was how smoothly the scenes changed throughout the show.

One moment we were inside The Forge, where Merlin learns his craft, and the next we were transported into a grand royal court or the depths of an enchanted forest.

The transitions were so seamless that it felt like watching a film — each new setting unfolding in front of our eyes without breaking the flow of the story.

The forest scene in particular was one of the highlights of the night.

The lighting and staging created a dreamy, colourful world that completely drew you in. When the forest caught fire towards the end of the first act, it looked so real, it was the perfect way to close the first half of the performance before the short interval.

Even though the production uses recorded audio rather than a live orchestra, it didn’t affect the performance at all, with the dancers’ energy and precision filled the stage, making every moment feel alive.

The cast gave outstanding performances throughout. Harris Beattie brought warmth and emotion to the role of Merlin.

Sarah Chun, who played Morgan, was absolutely breath-taking, with every single one of her movements being powerful yet graceful. To me, she completely commanded the stage whenever she appeared.

At the end, there was huge applause at the end, cheers for the dancers, and even a funny moment when the evil King Vortigern, played by Miguel Teixeira, was booed by the crowd — and he couldn’t help but laugh along.

For fans of fantasy, like myself, Merlin is a dream come true and being able to experience a magical world like this brought to life through dance, light, and music is mesmerising.

You forget you’re in a theatre, it feels like you’ve stepped right into the story.

The production runs until October 18 as part of the company’s nationwide tour. — MT