Ballet’s antidote to the gloomy news
Luca Acri as Alain.
ALICE PENNEFATHER
This comedic ballet is the perfect antidote to the gloomy news at the moment – and it’s one to enjoy with all the family, too. Created 65 years ago by the founder choreographer of the Royal Ballet, Frederick Ashton, La fille mal gardée (“The Wayward Daughter”, until 13 November; live in cinemas on 5 November, returning to the stage in May 2026) reappears at Covent Garden after a nine-year absence, bringing back its bucolic atmosphere of a farm during a sunny harvest (designs by Osbert Lancaster) and feel-good effect.
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