Directed by David Bickerstaff – Produced by Phil Grabsky

The spectacular sculptures and paintings of Michelangelo seem so familiar to us, but what do we really know about this Renaissance giant? Michelangelo’s genius is evident in everything he touched. Beautiful and diverse works such as the towering statue of David, the moving Pietà in the Papal Basilica of St. Peter and his tour-de-force, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, still leave us breathless today.

Spanning his 88 years, Michelangelo - Love and Death takes a cinematic journey through the print and drawing rooms of Europe through the great chapels and museums of Florence, Rome and the Vatican to seek out a deeper understanding of this legendary figure’s tempestuous life, his relationship with his contemporaries and his incredible legacy.

Through expert commentary, stunning visuals and Michelangelo’s own words, this film takes a fresh look at a master artist whose life and genius are celebrated in every mark he made. Returning to cinemas in 2025 to celebrate this iconic artist’s 550th birthday.

Sculptor, painter, architect, poet, genius - discover why Michelangelo is without a doubt one of the greatest artists of all time.

Sensuous contemporary ballet meets the energy of musical theatre in four distinctive short works.

Fool’s Paradise, The Two of Us, Us, An American in Paris: four works showing the remarkable choreographic range of The Royal Ballet's Artistic Associate, Christopher Wheeldon.

FOOL’S PARADISE

Luminescent and shimmering, Fool’s Paradise marked the first of Wheeldon’s many collaborations with composer Joby Talbot. It was created in 2007 for Wheeldon’s own company, Morphoses, and first performed in 2012 by The Royal Ballet.

THE TWO OF US

The wistful songs of Joni Mitchell set the scene for the UK premiere of The Two of Us, a duet of deep intimacy and yearning. It was created in 2020 for the Fall for Dance Festival in New York, and had American ballet dancers Sarah Mearns and David Hallberg in its original cast.

US (DUET)

Us is a tender duet danced by two men. It was created in 2017 for BalletBoyz and is set to Keaten Henson’s music.

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (BALLET)

The Royal Ballet celebrates Wheeldon’s extraordinary success in musical theatre by performing the

ballet scene from his Tony Award-winning musical An American in Paris. Set to Gershwin’s jazzy

melodies, the musical is inspired by the 1951 film of the same name starring Gene Kelly and Leslie

Caron. The musical went on to win four Tony awards. The full musical depicts a blossoming romance

between the American G.I. Jerry Mulligan and a French ballerina, Lise Dassin. The ballet excerpt was

Wheeldon’s take on one of the most memorable scenes from the film – an extended sequence in

which the two central characters dance through Paris.

Rossini

Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Revival)

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2024–25 Live in HD season comes to a close with a live broadcast of Rossini’s effervescent comedy on May 31. Russian mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina headlines a winning ensemble as the feisty heroine, Rosina, alongside American tenor Jack Swanson, in his Met debut, as her secret beloved, Count Almaviva. Moldovan baritone Andrey Zhilikhovsky stars as Figaro, the ingenious barber of Seville, with Hungarian bass-baritone Peter Ká lmá n as Dr. Bartolo and Russian bass Alexander Vinogradov as Don Basilio rounding out the principal cast. Giacomo Sagripanti conducts Bartlett Sher’s madcap production.

PLEASE NOTE: Age rating and running time are subject to change.

Sung in Italian

Includes 1 intermission