Pierrot Lunaire
Pierrot Lunaire
Pierrot Lunaire
A clown dreams. The moon watches.
In the year of the American choreographer's centenary, The Royal Ballet revives Glen Tetley’s surreal ballet of melancholy and mischief under the moonlight.
In the year of the American choreographer's centenary, The Royal Ballet revives Glen Tetley’s surreal ballet of melancholy and mischief under the moonlight.
A meditation under moonlight
Under the glow of the moon, Pierrot, a clown, swings from ecstasy to desolation, moving between his dreamworld and reality. He is tormented by the swaggeringly sinister Brighella and the beautiful yet unattainable Columbine.
Background
In this surreal ballet, Glen Tetley takes stock characters from the early theatrical tradition of commedia dell’arte and throws them into an austere set by designer Rouben Ter-Arutunian. Against the backdrop of a simple scaffold, everything is pared back to depict a raw, human vulnerability.
Pierrot Lunaire was an early creation of Tetley’s that already displayed his signature choreographic style, one that merged the aesthetics of ballet and modern dance. He created Pierrot Lunaire in 1962 for his own company, with Christopher Bruce in the title role.
Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire
The ballet uses Arnold Schoenberg’s score from his atonal Pierrot Lunaire, which he composed in the style of Sprechstimme (spoken song melodrama).
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Access
For step free access and wheelchair spaces in the Linbury Theatre, you will need to book seats on the right-hand side of the auditorium.
We have an assistive listening system available to use.
Upcoming accessible performances:
There will be Captioned and Audio Described performances with a Touch Tour on 11 February 2026. Touch Tours must be booked by contacting boxoffice@roh.org.uk for tickets.
There will be Relaxed performances on 17 February 2026.
Join our Access Scheme for priority access performance tickets and to personalise your account for your access requirements.
See our Accessibility page for more information on access at the Royal Opera House.
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