Review: Merlin - Northern Ballet (12.11.2025)

Review by April Nash

Northern Ballet’s production of Merlin, currently gracing the Norwich Theatre Royal, is far more than a simple dance performance; it’s a strong piece of theatre that delivers its magical story to vivid life.

The entire production shines visually and technically. The use of puppetry, the inventive theatrics for the magic effects, and the dynamic combat sequences are certainly impressive. Coupled with a clever lighting design, the performance is very engaging. This commitment to having lots of moving pieces all the time (including the set) is one of the things that supports its very clear narrative. 

The cast, truly athletes, manage to make their physically demanding roles and choreography look utterly effortless, and I have to give the entire company my praise as they were all magnificent dancers.

This is a straightforward tale for the ages, where good conquers evil - Merlin on his hero’s journey with us, the audience, along for the ride. There are sword fights, daring deeds, love triangles, and even a small dragon with a very big stage presence. 

In terms of characterisation, one of the things I loved was that the production gives strong roles to women. The blacksmith (Merlin’s mother), the captain of the guard, and the princess were all constructed as great female parts. Crucially, none of them felt insipid, with each character clearly getting agency over their decisions, which came through powerfully in the choreography and solo performances.

The pacing of Act One was fast and very, very plot driven, propelling the story forward occasionally at a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it speed. However, the production did slow down at key moments - particularly in the ‘river’ featuring the Lady of the Lake and the moving duet of the two young lovers under the tree, which stood out as a personal highlight. There was a lot more of the traditional ballet ‘dance’ sequencing in Act Two, which was all well performed, but in contrast to the first, the second Act maybe needed some of that pace to balance it out.

If you’re curious about ballet, this is a great starting point. The narrative is easy to follow, assisted by effective visual signposting - for example, the use of yellow and blue for the opposing kingdoms and the choice to dress the antagonists clearly, (as only the villains ever wear black.) With the choreography use repeating themes of movement that bordered on sign-language, you could really quickly begin to understand what was being said, without any words at all.

Merlin honours the classical art form while embracing spectacle of love and magic in a fantasy adventure, it was a wonderful evening of entertainment. It continues at Norwich Theatre Royal until 15th November.