Mayerling: The Royal Ballet (Koen Kessels) (2018)

Kenneth MacMillan based his dark, intense ballet Mayerling on the tragic true story of Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress Mary Vetsera, and it is celebrated as one of The Royal Ballets narrative masterpieces. The oppressive world of the Austro-Hungarian empire is brought to life by the whole Company, with a score drawn from the sweeping music of Franz Liszt, and with sumptuous designs by Nicholas Georgiadis. Steven McRae dances Rudolf, one of the most technically and emotionally demanding roles in the repertory for male dancers, with Sarah Lamb as Mary Vetsera, in choreography that pushes classical ballet to its limits.