Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon is treading the boards once more, and it’s not a moment too soon.

Created in 1974 and based on Abbé Prévost’s 1731 novel, it was only the third ballet by MacMillan to enter The Australian Ballet’s repertoire when it arrived on our shores 20 years later (the first two being Concerto and Song of the Earth).

Three decades on, it is as potent and sexually charged as ever, but in the hands of the exceptional Benedicte Bemet and Joseph Caley, Manon and her lover Des Grieux acquire not only a frisson but also, surprisingly, a likeability that isn’t always associated with their characters – especially hers.

Benedicte Bemet and Joseph Caley in The Australian Ballet’s 2025 season of Manon. Photo © Daniel Boud

It is hard not to fall for these star-crossed lovers and, as Caley woos Bemet with his libidinous arabesques, it’s easy to see why Manon would fall for Des Grieux.

Bemet’s Manon is perfectly disarming, seemingly oblivious yet always switched on and, frankly, impressive. There is an authenticity to both her desire to rise above her station, and to her love for Des Grieux, and nailing both...