RBO cinema season 2026-27: Manon

In the shady Parisian underworld of the 18th century, money reigned supreme. Nothing is holy — and even love can be bought when the price is right.

In the shady Parisian underworld of the 18th century, money reigns supreme. Nothing is holy — and even love can be bought when the price is right. A member of this hedonistic underworld, Manon is torn when she falls in love with student Des Grieux. For them, the solid and devoted youth is the chance for an honorable life. But the Parisian society of the rich remains full of temptations... In his 1974 adaptation of the novel by Abbé Prévost, Kenneth MacMillan focused on Manon's inner conflict and her struggle for survival. In this typical Royal Ballet performance, MacMillan's nuanced understanding of the human psyche provides an indiscriminate look at the moral decline of Manon's Paris, whose decadence and fall will powerfully underline by Jules Massenet's score and Nicholas Georgiadis's production.

Director: Koen Kessels
Cast: The Royal Ballet