GILLIAN LYNNE, CBE, is the choreographer/dancer/director whose groundbreaking choreographic work over the last forty years has ensured her place in the annals of theatrical history. Gillian was the first choreographer to incorporate jazz and modern dance moves into musical theatre in England and is associated internationally with the iconic musicals Cats, and the longest running show in Broadway history, The Phantom of the Opera.
This year sees the revival of ‘A SIMPLE MAN’, the ballet Gillian was commissioned to make in 1987 by the BBC to celebrate the centenary of Salford painter LS Lowry’s birth. Collaborating with composer and conductor Carl Davis, Gillian conceived, choreographed and directed ‘A Simple Man’ winning a coveted BAFTA in the process. She invited ex-Royal Ballet stars Christopher Gable (NBT Artistic Director 1989 – 98) and Moira Shearer to star in the production, with the dancers of Northern Ballet Theatre, and Tim Goodchild as her designer. The huge success of the ballet on television led to its presentation onstage by Northern Ballet Theatre in the autumn of 1987 with Lynn Seymour in Shearer’s role; Gillian danced the role herself with Gable in the Royal Variety Show in 1989 and it remained in the company’s repertoire until 1999.
As part of its 40th anniversary celebrations, NBT performed A Simple Man as part of its mixed bill UK tour. It provides audiences with a rare opportunity to see Lowry’s evocative paintings of northern life brilliantly animated through dance, drama and live music A Simple Man is a landmark piece in NBT’s history and was instrumental in securing the Company’s reputation as the UK’s leading narrative dance company.
www.northernballettheatre.co.uk
