Today marks 10 years since the rst episode of Peaky Blinders aired on the BBC. Created bywriter Steven Knight, it has since become a household name across the world.
Having collaborated with the Peaky Blinders creator to present and tour popular new dance
theatre show Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby, which saw audiences in
excess of 100,000, Rambert is thrilled to announce its return to stages next year.
Inspired by the TV series produced and owned by Caryn Mandabach Productions, the
explosive and exhilarating performance has been adapted for the stage by Steven Knight
and choreographed and directed by Rambert’s Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer.
Featuring the full Rambert dance company and an iconic Peaky soundtrack from a live on-
stage band, Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby will take over the
Sunderland Empire’s stage from Tuesday 29 October – Saturday 2 November 2024.
Further dates to Norwich Theatre, co-producing partner Birmingham Hippodrome, alongside news of a London run and European and International transfers, are set to be announced in early 2024.
Fans of the TV series and staged adaptation don’t have to wait too long to immerse
themselves in Rambert’s world of Thomas Shelby, as Rambert unveil that Peaky Blinders:
Rambert Dance, specially lmed on the Birmingham Hippodrome stage, will be aired on the
BBC later in the year. This follows a limited cinema release with details announced soon.
Taking over both stage and screen, Rambert presents exhilarating and athletic dance
combined with an electrifying and eclectic Peaky soundtrack from live on-stage musicians,
to tell the story of love and loss at the end of World War One through the lens of the Peaky
Blinders and main protagonists Tommy Shelby and Grace Burgess.
Stage - Rambert presents Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby set to tour in 2024.
Adapted for the stage by Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight and choreographed and directed by Rambert’s Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer, Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby will return to stages across the UK from 13 September 2024.
Rambert’s thrilling stage adaptation captures the Peaky story, with stunning performances from Rambert’s dancers and an iconic soundtrack from a live on-stage band.
Having included exclusive plot and characters never seen on screen, Steven Knight opens the story in the trenches of The Somme in 1916 to tell a personal story of post-war industrial Birmingham, where the Shelby family navigate the decisions that determine their fate and Tommy is intoxicated by mysterious newcomer, Grace.
While Tommy is building his empire, Grace is operating as an undercover agent for Special Branch on a mission to get close to the heart of Tommy’s gang. As the story unfolds, hearts are broken and revenge is sought, in a script that is spoken by Birmingham-born writer and poet Benjamin Zephaniah who played street preacher Jeremiah Jesus in the TV series.
This coincides with a band of live musicians led by Musical Director Yaron Engler and a specially commissioned score by Roman Gian Arthur, that includes iconic Peaky tracks from Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Radiohead, Anna Calvi, The Last Shadow Puppets, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
The creative team for the creation of the stage production include set design by Moi Tran, lighting design by Natasha Chivers and costume design by Richard Gellar, with dramaturgy by Kaite O’Reilly.
Acting director Kim Pearce, illusions director Filipe J. Carvalho, fight director Adrian Derrick Palmer, props supervisor Lily Mollgaard, and intimacy director Yarit Dor, with sound design by Moshik Kop, were part of the creative team involved in the creation of the stage production.
Executive Producers for the stage adaptation are Helen Shute, Alex Darbyshire, Simon Sinek and Robin Saunders.
Screen – Peaky Blinders: Rambert Dance transfers from stage to screen this year.
Fans of Peaky Blinders may have spotted guest appearances of Rambert in Episode 4 of Season 5, when Tommy Shelby invites the dance company to perform at his wife’s birthday party.
The collaboration between Peaky Blinders and Rambert becomes full circle as the stage adaptation pivots to the screen later in the year on the BBC, following a limited cinema release.
Rambert in Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby is presented in association with BBC and will be broadcast on BBC 4 later this year.
Inspired by the television series Peaky Blinders created by Steven Knight and produced by Caryn Mandabach Productions, it is supported by The Space, Arts Council England and Birmingham Hippodrome, with thanks to The Lowry.
Co-produced by North South, the Executive Producers on the screen adaptation are Helen Shute, Steven Knight, Caryn Mandabach, Emma Cahusac and Fiona Morris.
Having written and adapted the production for Rambert, Peaky Blinders writer and creator Steven Knight said:
“I’m absolutely thrilled the Peaky/Rambert collaboration has been such a resounding success. So many people came to see the show and so many of them were new to live dance, which is why we all wanted to do this.
By popular demand the show is back on the road in the UK in places the first tour didn’t reach. Next, it’s Europe, then the world.
Now that our friends at the BBC and North South have captured the performance with such creativity and panache, we hope that more people will enjoy this phenomenal new template in how TV becomes stage then stage becomes TV again.”
Rambert’s Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer, who choreographed and directed the production said:
“As a company, we are so proud of the success of Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby and are excited to see its return.
Having had the opportunity of presenting this work to audiences across the UK, I’m excited for even more people to see it on stage and screen.
As a choreographer, I love that I get to tell these stories through movement, and recreate these iconic characters through dance, in collaboration with a talented creative team that includes Steven Knight.
Rambert is one of the world’s most diverse companies of dancers, and I’m proud that we present adventurous, dynamic, and daring work that inspires audiences, locally, nationally, and internationally.”
Caryn Mandabach, Executive Producer of Peaky Blinders, said:
“From the very beginning Peaky Blinders was designed to be something that transcended the screen and spilled over into our lives. I am thrilled that this sensational stage production is set to reach and inspire new audiences in the theatre, the cinema and at home.”
Suzy Klein, Head of Arts and Classical Music TV at the BBC, said:
“When Peaky Blinders first exploded onto our screens, audiences were instantly hooked on the exploits of Thomas Shelby and his partners-in-crime. So, it is really exciting that these vivid characters are having a new life beyond the original TV show, bringing all the passion, drama and excitement of Peaky Blinders to the dance stage. I’m thrilled for BBC Arts to have worked with Rambert Dance and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight to bring this exhilarating new work to our audiences.’
Fiona Morris, CEO and Creative Director of The Space said:
“Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby is a brilliant piece of dance theatre from Rambert. Acclaimed by critics and loved by audiences, we were delighted to work with colleagues to capture the production and are thrilled that it will receive its TV premiere on the BBC later in the year.”
Rambert’s Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby will hit Sunderland Empire’s stage from Tues 29 Oct – Sat 2 Nov 2024. Tickets on general sale at 10am from tomorrow, 13 September online at ATGTickets.com/Sunderland.
*A £3.65 transaction fee applies to online bookings.