★★★☆☆ Beautiful production, not exactly groundbreaking, harks back to golden age of ballet.

Concourse Theatre, Chatswood
October 4, 2016

A transparent scrim frames the stage with curtains recalling a 19th-century theatre, a nostalgic touch that sets the scene for a very traditional reading of Giselle. Using the original choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, as revived by Marius Petipa, The Australian Ballet’s Regional Tour of New South Wales kicked off, appropriately, on World Ballet Day with a performance in Chatswood’s Concourse Theatre.

^{Karen Nanasca as Giselle, photo © Jeff Busby}

The painted set, a house on the left and a hut on the right, is simple yet elegant, Peter Farmers’ set and costumes blazing with autumnal oranges and browns in the first act, the earthy tones bringing to life the medieval German village. The story centres on a peasant girl, Giselle, a caricature of innocence, who loves to dance but is plagued by a weak heart. Seduced by a passing Count, Albrecht (who disguises himself as a peasant boy), she dies – literally and metaphorically broken-hearted – when she discovers he is already engaged.

The production features artists from the Australian...