Le Corsaire, London Coliseum

English National Ballet, the first UK company to perform the complete Le Corsaire (The Pirate), has had a big success with it on tour since 17 October 2013. Until Russian companies brought their full-length productions to London, the 1856 ballet was known here solely for its famous pas deux, performed as a show-stopper at galas – most notably by Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn.

There are two important roles for ballerinas, that of the heroine, Medora, and her best girlfriend, Gulnare. ENB’s stars include Alina Cojocaru, the outstanding Romanian dancer who left the Royal Ballet last season, and the Spanish ballerina, Tamara Rojo, ENB’s new artistic director. (See  ENB’s website for London casting.)

This production is by Anna-Maria Holmes, a revised version of one she mounted for Boston Ballet in 1992, and then for American Ballet Theatre . Faster-moving than the elaborate Bolshoi or Maryinsky versions, it has exotic sets and costumes by Hollywood film designer Bob Ringwood, responsible for Batman , Alien 3 and Star Trek Nemesis. The picturesque settings recall 19th century fantasies of the Ottoman Empire. In the ornate context of the London Coliseum, ENB’s Le Corsaire should look truly spectacular.