L'Histoire de Manon

From 28 September to 30 October 2026, L’Histoire de Manon returns to the Palais Garnier with the Paris Opera Ballet. Created by Kenneth MacMillan for The Royal Ballet in 1974 and added to the Paris repertoire in 1990, the three-act ballet is based on the story of Manon Lescaut and the Chevalier Des Grieux, written by Abbé Prévost in 1731. MacMillan sets the action in the 1780s, on the eve of the French Revolution, and builds the narrative around the conflict between Manon’s love for Des Grieux and her attraction to money and a life of luxury. From an inn near Paris to the salons frequented by wealthy men, the story gradually leads to Manon’s deportation to Louisiana and her final escape with Des Grieux into the swamps, where she dies in his arms. Born in Scotland in 1929 and died in 1992, Kenneth MacMillan was one of the central figures of British ballet in the second half of the 20th century. After beginning his career as a dancer with the Sadler’s Wells Ballet, he turned to choreography and became director of The Royal Ballet in 1970. Works such as Romeo and Juliet, Mayerling and L’Histoire de Manon renewed narrative ballet through a particular attention to the psychology of the characters, sexuality, violence and social tensions. In Manon, this approach is particularly evident in the pas de deux, where the relationship between the protagonists is expressed through lifts, falls, sweeping movements and continual shifts in body weight. Classical technique remains the foundation of the choreography but is used to give physical form to the relationships and conflicts driving the story. The score does not use Jules Massenet’s famous opera Manon, composed in 1884. MacMillan instead selected music from other works by the French composer, subsequently arranged and orchestrated by Martin Yates. Sets and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis accompany the transition from Parisian settings to Louisiana and underline the contrast between Manon’s modest origins and the world of luxury to which she aspires. The 2026 revival brings together the Étoiles, Premiers Danseurs and Corps de Ballet of the Paris Opera, with Martin Yates conducting. Announced performers in the leading roles include Amandine Albisson and Guillaume Diop, Bleuenn Battistoni and Marc Moreau, and Dorothée Gilbert and Hugo Marchand. For Gilbert, Manon will have a particular significance: it is the role chosen by the Étoile for her farewell to the stage.