In March 2026, the world premiere of Northern Ballet’s new full-length ballet – Gentleman Jack – is set to captivate audiences as part of a nationwide tour.
Continuing Northern Ballet’s masterful canon of creating stories that connect, this groundbreaking ballet will bring to the stage the life of the 19th century icon, Anne Lister. Gentleman Jack will open in Leeds before touring to Sheffield, Nottingham, London, Norwich, Salford and Bradford.
Yorkshirewoman Anne, described by some as the “first modern lesbian”, lived, dressed and loved as she desired, not as 19th century society expected her to. Her diaries were discovered and decoded after her death, revealing a bold, passionate, independent, well-travelled businesswoman who defied societal norms and loved as fiercely as she lived.
Her story has inspired biographies, novels and a hit TV series, and this – Northern Ballet’s first large-scale commission since 2021 and the first under Artistic Director Federico Bonelli – is the only production to bring it to life through the powerful medium of dance.
Choreographed by the multi-award-winning Annabelle Lopez Ochoa with Dance Artist and singer/songwriter Jemima Brown (Choreography Consultant) as part of a majority female artistic team that also includes Sally Wainwright (series-writer of the BBC/HBO TV series Gentleman Jack), the ballet will be performed to new, live music composed by Peter Salem.
Annabelle has worked closely alongside dramaturg, Clare Croft – a dance theorist and historian, [author of Jill Johnston in Motion: Dance, Writing, and Lesbian Life] to create a story which brings to life on stage an Anne Lister borne of history but seen through a modern lens.
The ballet features set and lighting design by Christopher Ash and costumes by Louise Flanagan, who has drawn on inspiration from the 1830s as well as lesbian and queer dress in modern fashion to create a contemporary feel to the period dress.
Gentleman Jack was awarded the FEDORA – VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Dance Prize 2025; the prize recognises productions that reimagine dance for the 21st century, rethinking how ballets are created and who they are created for.