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★★★★★
The world-renowned dance company Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo are currently visiting venues across the UK as part of their 50th Anniversary UK tour and this week they have been at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury for two performances. For those unfamiliar, “The Trocks” is an all-male drag dance company that parodies classical ballet. Fusing together balletic skill and exquisite comedic timing, this company takes timeless work and adds unrivalled sass and humour, completely reinventing what ballet can be. On opening night here in Kent I had the opportunity to see the latest touring production, after previously watching their show in 2022. This time I found even more appreciation for their performance style and talent, and thoroughly enjoyed the performance from start to finish.
About the show
For this tour, the ballet troupe takes on Le Lac Des Cygnes (Swan Lake, Act II), Don Quixote Pas de Deux, Go For Barocco, The Dying Swan and Valpurgeyeva Noch (“Walpurgisnacht”) over the course of two hours including two intervals. When I watched a previous iteration of the show I thought that the storytelling and narrative in some of the sequences could have been clearer, but this time it honestly didn’t affect my viewing experience. In my opinion, The Trocks strength lies in their ability to perform incredibly complex choreography, capture audience attention through their stage presence and keep spectators entertained in genuinely amusing ways.
Comedy elements
The mishaps and exaggerated movements take real athleticism, and I found myself constantly looking forward to the next member of the company stepping out of line and diverting audiences away from the ensemble. Revealing facial expressions and over-the-top body language adds so much energy to the choreography, highlighting hilarious sub-narratives within the rhythm of the main storylines. Additionally, Ken Busbin and Jeffrey Sturdivant’s costume design hides a few fun elements of surprise, which really come to fruition in Don Quixote Pas de Deux and The Dying Swan.
Masters of their craft
The current tour of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is a must-see for dance and comedy fans. I firmly believe that even people who don’t typically enjoy ballet will really enjoy this piece, thanks to the precisely timed comedy and captivating ballerina and danseur personas on stage. The Trocks have finished their run at the Marlowe Theatre now, but the 50th Anniversary UK tour continues until 24th June 2026. Further tour dates can be found via the Dance Consortium website.
*My ticket for ‘Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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