Set in the exotic surroundings of the Ottoman Empire and with a narrative encompassing abduction, murder and shipwreck, Le Corsaire is a swashbuckling pirate drama that delights for its spectacular nature and which includes some of the most bravura male dancing in the ballet repertoire.

The work’s evolution has been a complex one, its libretto and choreography subject to numerous revisions since its first appearance in Paris in 1856, and in this English National Ballet production – the first British staging of the work – former-ballerina-turned-choreographer Anna-Marie Holmes adapts the 1974 Petipa-Sergeyev Kirov version to create ‘brisk, stylish entertainment’ (Guardian) that is visually enhanced by Hollywood designer Bob Ringwood’s ‘superb’ (Daily Telegraph) Orientalist sets and costumes.

First-rate dancing by the company and its soloists – including Alina Cojocaru’s ‘radiant performance’ as Medora (Independent), Yonah Acosta’s ‘vividly drawn and villainous’ Birbanto (Financial Times) and Vadim Muntagirov’s ‘compelling’ (Daily Telegraph) portrayal of Conrad – underscores the ‘roaring, madcap success’ (Financial Times) of this production.

Cast:
- Medora: Alina Cojocaru
- Conrad: Vadim Muntagirov
- Gulnare: Erina Takahashi
- Lankendem: Dimitri Gruzdyev
- Ali: Junor Souza
- Birbanto: Yonah Acosta
- Pasha: Michael Coleman
- Pasha Assistant: Juan Rodriguez
- Lead Villager: Nancy Osbaldeston

Recorded live at English National Ballet, August 2014.

"Cojocaru dances her centrepiece romantic duet with a piercing, joyous intensity..." - The Guardian

"Vadim Muntagirov plays her seafaring hero Conrad and his steps are technically pristine…" - The Evening Standard

Running time: 100 minutes
Sound format: 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS