Peaky Blinders The Redemption of Thomas Shelby - The Lowry

IT helps, however you don’t need to be a fan of the TV series, for me one of the best dramas to hit our screens in the 21st century.

Nor do you need to be a devotee of dance, for the internationally renowned company Rambert have made it their mission to convert you with this spellbinding, stunning and spectacular production.

Rest assured, it’s mission accomplished, thanks to a combination of world class dance, a super cool soundtrack featuring the likes of Nick Cave and Radiohead. The sets are visually stunning in what is essentially a prequel to this TV classic.

The version was written by Beniot Swan Pouffer, Rambert’s artistic director and the wonderful Steven Knight, the writer responsible for bringing Peaky to the small screen in the first place.

For the unconverted, Peaky Blinders was the story of a gangster family for terrorised the streets of Victorian and Edwardian Birmingham. But the real peaky blinders weren’t a family at all, they were a group of men from a variety of backgrounds who became notorious for the way they dispatched those brave enough - or stupid enough - to cross them.

Pouffer’s choreography is exciting as it exhilarating, with the dancers achieving a grace and poise and agility us lesser mortals can only dream about.

While Knight has been involved in its co-creation, this is more of a prequel to the TV programme that gave birth to it, beginning in the muddy Flanders fields of the First World War to the mean streets of Birmingham to the love affair between Thomas Shelby and the woman he falls for, the captivating and alluring Grace.

We see Shelby sink into despair and this is brilliantly and evocatively portrayed by Guillaume Queau who played the role of Tommy at the Lowry on Tuesday night. Queau is a very tough act to follow for Joseph Kudra, the dancer with whom he shares the part.

Naya Lovell is quite remarkable as Grace, a dancer who was simply born to dance, a natural and a very gifted one at that. Together they are quite the combination.

Dance simply doesn’t get any better than this. Unmissable.

Until March 18. The box office is on 0343 208 6000 or visit www.thelowry.com.

Star rating - *****