A film about tragic John Cranko

A film about tragic John Cranko

ballet

norman lebrecht

September 23, 2024

The Stuttgart Opera House opened its season unusually with a film premiere.

It’s a biopic by Joachim Lang of the brilliant dancer and choreographer John Cranko, who left the Royal Ballet in London after being arrested for a gay pick-up and found posterity and near-happiness in Stuttgart as its great dance creator.

Cranko choked to death in 1973 on a flight home from Philadelphia after suffering an adverse reaction to a sleeping pill.

Sam Riley (pictured) plays him in the new film.

Comments

  • Maryanne says:

    Very excited for this film to come to the U.S. Sam Riley is a brilliant actor and this role is special.

  • Carole Curtis says:

    The film is in German. Not clear if it will be subtitled, or even if it will be released in North America,.

  • Nick2 says:

    A brilliant choreographer. Sadly I saw little of his work, but his Romeo and Juliet has been performed by many companies and always regarded as a triumph. I also marvelled at the symphonic ballet he created for his four principal dancers at Stuttgart ‘Initials R.B.M.E’ (Richard Cragun, Birgit Keil, Marcia Haydee and Egon Madsen) to the music of the Brahms Second Piano Concerto. Superb evening. Can’t wait to see the film.

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