Making a welcome return to the Melbourne stage after more than ten years, romantic Kenneth MacMillan drama Manon showcases the brightly polished gifts of a new generation of dancers.

Artistic director David Hallberg welcomed the opening night audience, dedicating the season to the memory of Colin Peasley OAM, a founding member of The Australian Ballet who danced, taught, and supported the company for more than five decades. 

Just over fifty years since its premiere at London’s Royal Ballet, Manon remains a distinctly adult-themed work, a fitting follow-up for audiences that have recently enjoyed Oscar and Nijinsky. Deftly balancing dance and drama, MacMillan’s work draws on the full resources of the company of dancers, filling the stage with characterful storytelling and lively crowd scenes. 

Expertly re-orchestrated and arranged by Martin Yates in 2011, the smooth cohesion of the truly lovely Massenet music belies its origins as something of a patchwork piece derived from more than a dozen sources. Manon tells a detailed story and the music ably supports and enhances the stirring sense of emotion and passion as the drama unfolds. 

Conducted with crisp, impassioned precision by maestro Charles Barker, Orchestra Victoria brings out the full melodic beauty of the score. Resounding music from the brass is a frequent impactful highlight of the performance. 

Sitting handsomely on the Regent stage, the painted flats of Peter Farmer’s scenic design are dated in style and yet bring an innate sense of grandeur. The lighting design of Jacopo Pantani, recreated by Jason Morphett, allows the sets to be seen at their best, with the dancers in full light while an air of shadowy mystery brings atmosphere to the settings. 

Farmer’s richly detailed costumes hold up perfectly, striking the perfect balance of bringing beauty to the choreography and vividly supporting the storytelling. Clearly conveying the class structure of the Paris demimonde setting, Farmer begins with a deliberately murky palette, going on to draw the eye with judicious use of brighter colours, and later creating a fresh look for the New World of Louisiana. 

Staged for this season by by Laura Morera and Gregory Mislin, this presentation of Manon does not shy from the inherent interplay of sex and money. In act two, Manon is symbolically passed from man to man to man, having left her modestly placed first lover for a world of fur and jewels. Nonetheless, Manon is portrayed as a sweet girl caught up in a depraved world rather than an immoral and avaricious young woman. This approach is all the more affecting and involving, and heightens the impact of Manon’s ultimate tragedy.

Robyn Hendricks enchants as Manon from her very first entrance, capturing the demurely coquettish manner of the convent-bound country girl whose head is turned by Parisian society. With her exquisite dancing supported by emotionally intelligent acting, Hendricks takes Manon on a compelling arc through passionate love, impossible glamour, reckless desperation, and harrowing misery. 

In a triumphant role debut, Callum Linnane imbues lovestruck young Des Grieux with noble elegance. Dancing the role with impeccable control and exquisite lines, Linnane avoids a sense of showmanship, successfully focusing on the emotional journey of the character. Filled with heartfelt expression, each of Linnane’s solos are a joy to watch. Likewise, each pas de deux with Hendricks is more wonderful than the last, with the well-matched pair enjoying palpable chemistry. 

In a highly characterful and technically exacting performance, Maxim Zenin shines as Manon’s brother Lescaut. Vivaciously magnetic, Isobelle Dashwood commands the stage in her every scene as Lescaut’s Mistress. Zenin and Dashwood score plenty of laughs with their sharp timing and clever stunts in the “drunk” pas de deux. 

Manon provides a range of mature roles, which are luxuriously cast for this season. Having starred as Des Grieux in 2014, Adam Bull returns to Manon to play lecherous Monsieur G.M., bringing a delightfully vain haughtiness to the wealthy devil. British dancer Gillian Revie elegantly captures the showy gloss that Madame X uses to hide her insidious dealings. Franco Leo captures the gentle humour of the hapless Old Man, the first victim of Manon. 

While the adult themes may not be conducive to younger audiences, mature lovers of dance will thrill to the romance and tragedy of Manon. 

Manon plays at Regent Theatre, Melbourne until 22 October 2025. For tickets, click here. 

The Manon synopsis and cast list can be read online. 

Man in Chair attended Manon as the guest of a Melbourne Arts Patron.

Photos: Kate Longley, Daniel Boud