Cluster

Comunale Nouveau

Theatre artists have a real problem with Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt . This dramatic poem, with its episodic structure and use of fantastical elements, posed a challenge for the stage designers, but it turns out to be ideal material for a ballet performance. In 2015, the choreography for Peer Gynt was created by the Slovenian dancer of Romanian origin, Edward Clug. The premiere in Maribor was a huge success, and the ballet later traveled to Zurich, Vienna, Dortmund, Hanover, and Leipzig. What accounts for the production's popularity? Above all, it doesn't shy away from the original's fragmented narrative, leaving the significance of the protagonist's individual adventures unsaid, and above all, it employs a remarkably contemporary visual language, avoiding treating Ibsen's drama as a dusty old fairy tale inspired by folklore.

Peer Gynt

Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera

The comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the most well-known and beloved works by William Shakespeare, exploring the power of love, the confusions of human emotions, and the magic of fantasy. The plot skilfully weaves together various storylines: lovers fleeing strict laws, fairy kings and queens ruling over the natural realm, and a group of clumsy craftsmen preparing a performance for the royal court. Amidst a dense forest, a setting full of secrets and inexplicable powers, love couples encounter obstacles that test their bonds. The fairy kingdom plays its own game with human love destinies, confusing lovers with a magical love potion that makes them fall in love with the first person they see. Themes such as the irrationality of love, the boundaries between reality and dream, and the dynamics between power and fantasy are skilfully interwoven. Choreographer Edward Clug, Ballet Director of the Slovenian National Theatre Maribor, dedicates himself to this classic, bringing his unique vision to the stage and transporting audiences with his vision into a world full of magic and deep emotions. The choreography highlights both the comic and dramatic aspects of the story. Clug's choreographic interpretation, set to the music specially composed by Milko Lazar for this piece, tells Shakespeare's story through a contemporary lens – a tale that explores the depths of human nature while remaining humorous and enchanting.  The music by Milko Lazar is a commissioned work that is composed in close connection with Clug's creation and will have its world premiere with the orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Deutsche Oper Berlin

Theatre makers find Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt to be rather problematic. While challenging to mount on the stage, the dramatic poem with episodic structure featuring fantastical elements turned out to be perfect material for a ballet. In 2015 Slovenian dancer of Romanian origin, Edward Clug created a choreographic adaptation of Peer Gynt. The ballet’s Maribor world premiere was a triumph and the work was subsequently staged in Zurich, Vienna, Dortmund, Hannover, and Leipzig. What is the reason for its popularity? It is not intimidated by the original’s broken narrative, leaving questions about the meaning of the protagonist’s individual adventures unanswered, and, crucially, uses a very contemporary visual language, without treating the Ibsen play as a dusty old fairytale inspired by folklore.

‘Some stories belong to a nation. Some belong to an era. And some refuse to remain in one time, because they speak of the human fracture itself. Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire is one of those stories’, notes the creator Valentina Turcu about the ballet production of the same name, which will be presented by the Greek National Opera Ballet in February and March 2027. Based on Tennessee Williams’ emblematic play, this work offers a contemporary, profoundly psychological interpretation of one of the 20th century’s most important texts, conveying its dramatic tension through physical language and movement. A Streetcar Named Desire is a co-production with the Maribor Slovene National Theatre, made possible by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to enhance the GNO’s artistic outreach.

Marko Japelj

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 12 - Mar 7, 2027

A Streetcar Named Desire · Greek National Opera

Past events

24 - 25 Jun, 2026

Cluster · Teatro Comunale di Bologna

Feb 20 - Mar 20, 2026

Peer Gynt · Polish National Opera

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