Birmingham Hippodrome – until 14th June 2025
Reviewed by Emma Millward
4****
Peaky Blinders: The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby returns to Birmingham Hippodrome for the third and final time. The production brings together Steven Knight’s characters from the acclaimed BBC show with the exciting choreography of Rambert Dance Company. The show made its world premiere in Birmingham in 2022. The production is a prequel/re-imagining of the TV show. Told entirely through dance, except for the late Benjamin Zephaniah’s occasional narration, it shows the earlier years of Tommy Shelby (Conor Kerrigan), his brothers John (Tom Davis-Dunn) and Arthur (Dylan Tedaldi) and just how they came to be the Peaky Blinders.
The show opens in the World War 1 trenches of Flanders. We see the Shelby brothers amongst the soldiers twitching in the mustard gas-filled air. Although they survive the war, Zephaniah’s sombre voice-over tells us they are ‘all dead. Not counted among the dead, because your bodies were not buried with the dead. But dead inside..’. In Act 1, we follow their return to Birmingham, where the gang descend into a life of robbery and violence. The first act very loosely follows the plot of the first three seasons of the TV show. Tommy becomes the leader of the Peaky Blinders, and falls in love with Grace (Seren Williams), who is portrayed here as a nightclub singer. Her demise during their wedding at the hands of Tommy’s rival Widow Changretta (Naya Lovell) happens a lot later in the TV show’s storyline, but with six seasons of possible plot lines to fit into a two hour show, these changes are to be expected. Act 2 is a more abstract interpretation of the events that follow Grace’s murder as Tommy retreats to an opium den and considers whether to take his life as he is haunted by visions of those he’s loved, lost and murdered. The second act loses a bit of momentum, as the action slows down. I found the opium den scene visually beautiful, although a little overlong.
Director Benoit Swan Pouffer’s choreography manages to convey the range of emotions the characters are feeling. The fight scenes have a visceral energy and the dancers bring the swagger of Peaky Blinders to the stage perfectly. The lighting (Natasha Chivers) is moody and atmospheric. Richard Gellar’s costume design includes all the instantly recognisable Peaky outfits, but also has cleverly used outfits such as the brown leather masks used to portray the police dogs that chase down the gang. The set design by Moi Tran cleverly uses a unique trenched stage that offers various platforms and levels for the dancers to perform, and occasionally disappear behind. The live band are also on a raised platform at the back of the stage to perform both specially commissioned music by Roman GianArthur, and a selection of iconic Peaky tracks from Radiohead, The Last Shadow Puppets, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and , of course, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds ‘Red Right Hand’ that always gives me goosebumps when I hear it.
The dance company is outstanding, but special mention must be given to Simone Damberg Würtz as Aunt Polly and Conor Kerrigan as Tommy. Although there was a lot of action happening, I found my eyes were always drawn to them. There may be a few tiny flaws, but Rambert has produced an exhilarating and memorable production that I urge you to see while it is still on tour.
