The raised curtain reveals a smoke-swamped stage complete with live, pulsating music setting a traumatic opening. Weary, dishevelled, unkempt bodies emerge from the depths, crawling onto the stage. They turn into fighting soldiers who are eventually introduced by the narrator, Benjamin Zephaniah. They are dead, he says, but not in body; only inside. It is a very loud and violent introduction, a little like the lives it represents, full of anguish and anger.
The director (Benoit Swan Pouffer) uses the well-designed set (Moi Tran) expertly, allowing the audience to see all of the action. It is basically a large, raised central area with a pit surrounding it with another raised area at the same level, allowing for continual movement from area to area and often with cast disappearing or emerging from the ‘moat’. The set is excellently enhanced by the lighting designer, Natasha Chivers.
For any fan of dancing, this show is a must, containing the most beautifully choreographed (Benoit Swan Pouffer) movement brilliantly performed; while you may think yourself not a fan of dance, in this era of dance revival, you may be surprised. For a fan of live music, another delight here is a continuous performance of excellently composed (Roman Gianarthur) music expertly played. Praise must also be given to Richard Gellar’s delightful costumes, which suit every event, enhancing the characters and scenes. This, combined with a 19-strong cast, points to a blindingly good show.
The Peaky Blinders creator, Steven Knight, wrote this adaption for the stage. In it are some character insights not in the screen version, so extra delights for Peaky fans. The familiar pre-recorded, beautiful voice of the narrator, sadly who is no longer here, points out certain story points; his voice is crystal clear, whereas unfortunately other characters have an echo which made it difficult to follow. It is a shame no space exists between the 37 continuous musical numbers for the audience to show their appreciation. While the scenes are exceptionally produced, the length of some may verge on self-indulgence. In such an intensely emotional production, the soul needs an occasional space to breathe and take in the hard action.
The production is Rambert's first collaboration of this kind. While based on the TV series, it continues the story of the Peaky Blinders at the end of World War I, following Tommy Shelby (Conor Kerrigan) and Grace Burgess’s (Naya Lovell) love affair, which the two dancers emotionally portray well, establishing a real bond. Even if one does not know the story and characters of Peaky Blinders, this production reveals it is an ugly, violent world of protection, racketeers, gamblers, race fixers and criminal gangs. Put this together with a tragic love affair and you have the plot.
While the entire Shelby family are fictitious, the Peaky Blinders were a real Birmingham street gang in the 1870s. Peaky Blinders appeared on TV in 2013 and premièred on stage in London in 2022, touring till June 2025, giving plenty of audiences a chance to experience this unique production.