Details

Kenneth MacMillan made Sea of Troubles in 1988 for Dance Advance, a dance ensemble composed of former members of The Royal Ballet. He intended it as a gift to the dancers, and crafted an intimate work for just six performers. The score uses music by the 20th-century masters Webern and Martinu. MacMillan described how his ballet responded to Shakespeare: 'I have taken as a starting point the effect of the death of Hamlet's father without a literal telling of the play. With the appearance of his father's ghost, and Hamlet's realization of the need for revenge, his tormented world becomes a nightmare.'

Creatives/Company

Choreographer: Kenneth MacMillan
Music(s): Anton Webern, Bohuslav Martinu
Design: Deborah MacMillan
Lighting: Adrian Plant