King Arthur & the Tales of Camelot

15 – 29 October, 2011

One kingdom united. Three hearts torn apart.

A valiant hero and leader of the Knights of the Round Table, King Arthur drew the sword Excalibur from a stone. He brought peace to a country in chaos, but even as fabled Camelot flourished, the seeds of destruction had been sown. When the bonds between the King, his Queen Guinevere and his trusted friend Lancelot disintegrated, so too did the fragile peace of the land.

Choreographer François Klaus has created a thrilling ballet which chronicles the life of this legendary King. From his early years under the protection of the mighty Merlin, to the cruel betrayal by those he loved best, and eventually, his final battle with the villainous Mordred, the story of the one true King of the Britons is brought vividly to life in bold and expressive dance.

Please note: King Arthur & the Tales of Camelot contains some content with adult themes.

 

 

Creatives

CHOREOGRAPHY/ DIRECTION
François Klaus
MUSIC DIRECTOR & ARRANGER
Craig Allister Young
SET DESIGN
Bruce McKinven
COSTUME DESIGN
Noelene Hill
LIGHTING DESIGN
David Walters
TEXT WRITTEN BY
Helen Howard
SYNOPSIS DEVELOPMENT
François Klaus, David Walters, Robyn White

Audience Reviews

Loved it, loved it, loved it. Funny, beautiful, concise...can't stand those Act II's that drag on and on making sure everyone gets their solo) innovative. How lovely to see such beautiful movement and text coming from the same person. Are you selling these productions to other companies? I hope so. Many thanks Belynda
Belynda Buck , Shorncliffe, QLD, Saturday 15, October 2011
Bravo Francois Klaus! The choreography for King Arthur was just fantastic. Challenging pas de deux, a mix of classical and contemporary brilliantly combined - so interesting to watch. You just cannot imagine what is going to come next. The lighting and set design were so complimentary. The costumes as always were just right and what a treat to have the QSO in attendance. The music selection was just amazing, how wonderful to have such extensive knowledge to be able to choose a piece from this and a piece from that and make a cohesive whole that was such a pleasure to listen to. Needless to say I believe the company did an amazing job in bringing all the elements together for a truly enjoyable evening at the ballet. Bravo!
Deborah Green, New Farm QLD, Tuesday 18, October 2011
We never cease to be amazed at the excellence of your productions. The dancers are superb and the productions are awesomely creative. I must say, too,that I was impressed last night by the performance of the musicians. Their task was not an easy one and they handled it magnificently.
John Tyman, Murwillumbah NSW, Thursday 20, October 2011
Dear François Klaus, Loved your Choreographer's Notes - your intense feeling for the Arthurian legends is so wonderfuly expressed in your magnificent ballet. The dancers were a dream, the staging inspired, the ending perfect - Celtic melancholy for the hero we have lost. My wife Cecily, who knows a lot about music, was so appreciative of the choice of classics selected. And what a relief to see a brand new ballet. The Queensland Ballet and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra should be proud. If I may suggest: our old eyes (80 & 81) found difficulty in distinguishing the characters. Arthur, Lancelot, Mordred, all young men, similarly dressed. If the mature Arthur could have, say, a red or blond beard, Lancelot always in, say blue, Mordred always in black ... Similarly for the ladies - Quinevere, Morgane, Vivienne, and Elaine - different colours would help.
David Dynes, Federal, QLD, Saturday 22, October 2011
Simply wonderful. It's the first time for us (my wife, daughter and myself) to see a ballet of any kind. We were marveled by the dance, I knew the story of Arthur but have never seen it portrayed through dance.The production exceeded my expectations. A great use of light, dance and delightful music. I'll will go again for sure - well done one, and all.
Bevan More, Bald Hills QLD, Saturday 22, October 2011
We are regular patrons of this company, and bekievel that they achieved a new level of professionalism with this ballet. For some time we have felt the outstanding performances of Rachael Walsh & the female principals and soloists was not... supported by their male counterparts. However, in "King Arthur and the Tales of Camelot" we witnessed outstanding performances from the danseurs - all the power & presence that was somehow lacking in previous seasons. The promotion of Keian Langdon and Hao Bin to principal roles was a master stroke.This piece of theatre demanded passion and stage presence from the whole company, which they delivered "in spades"! Well done Queensland Ballet!
R W Doyle
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