The Bright Stream at Lyric Theatre, QPAC

In 1935, Dmitri Shostakovich, one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century, wrote an original score for a ballet called The Bright Stream. Set on a farm it delighted audiences but did not find favour with the Soviet authorities, especially with Stalin who thought the subject of collective farming too serious for a light-hearted and joyful ballet. It was banned and not seen again until it was revived by the brilliant young choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, a former leading dancer and artistic director of the Bolshoi.

An overnight smash hit in Moscow and subsequently in London, New York and other capitals to which it has toured, it’s a comedic rural romp that incorporates dazzling Cossack and other ethnic dances as well as a side-splitting cross-dressing spoof of classical ballet, The Bright Stream will charm, delight and surprise Australian ballet lovers. And it too will be seen only in Brisbane.