GENTLEMAN JACK. Northern Ballet at the Theatre Royal Nottingham

Like Sally Wainwright’s acclaimed BBC drama, this stylish new ballet from Northern Ballet takes the extraordinary life of Anne Lister as its inspiration. Choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, it is opulent, sensual and emotionally rich storytelling.

A 19th century Yorkshire woman who lived and loved defiantly as herself, Anne Lister has often been described as “the first modern lesbian”. A voracious diarist, she meticulously documented both her business dealings and romantic relationships in coded journals. Ambitious, assertive and unapologetically attracted to women, she carved out a life on her own terms in Georgian England, a society where women’s roles were rigidly defined by men.

Nida Aydinoglu’s Anne Lister is assured, magnetic and deeply sensuous. Her lithe physicality is perfectly suited to the role. We see Anne forcing her way into the male-dominated world of business as she attempts to expand her family’s coal mining interests. Ochoa’s choreography cleverly mirrors this struggle, with Anne subtly adopting the physical mannerisms of the men around her: the tilt of a hat, a broad stance, a sharp shoulder roll. The chattering businessmen, led by Christopher Rawson is danced with imposing authority by Miguel Teixeira, ultimately reject her ambitions.

The scenes between Anne and her lover Mariana, danced by Sarah Chun, are among the highlights of the first half. Their relationship is beautifully realised through choreography that feels intensely physical yet emotionally restrained. Chun perfectly captures Mariana’s conflict: liberated and passionate in Anne’s presence yet trapped within the confines of her conventional marriage to Charles Lawton, whom she ultimately chooses over Anne.

Anne’s time in Paris brings a shift in tone and atmosphere. Here she embraces sensual freedom and immerses herself in the study of anatomy, another reminder of just how far ahead of her time Lister was. The Paris scenes pulse with energy, decadence and intellectual curiosity.

Following a business agreement with Christopher Rawson, Anne turns her attention to his ward Ann Walker. Julie Nunes dances the role with touching lightness and vulnerability. The very qualities that draw Anne towards her emotionally as much as romantically.

The entire Northern Ballet company excels throughout, holding the audience’s attention with highly stylised movement and sharply defined ensemble work. Words from Anne’s diaries ripple across bodies and digital screens, reinforcing the intensity of her passions and inner life. The choreography is intelligent and clever in tackling a potentially challenging subject. There are moments of humour as well as darker undertones and sensuality.

Peter Salem’s evocative score beautifully underlines the sense of time and place. Brass instrumentation gives the music a muscular industrial edge, subtly evoking Yorkshire’s mining landscape, while the live orchestra performs magnificently throughout.

Visually, the production is stunning. Louise Flanagan’s costumes and Christopher Ash’s elegant pared-back set design vividly capture both the social rigidity and sensual undercurrents of the era. Much of the ballet is danced on a largely bare stage, with towering bookcases gliding on and off to create shifting locations. Their reverse panels cleverly display moving digital imagery, transporting us from the Yorkshire countryside to the interiors of Shibden Hall Anne’s home. Rich velvet drapes, chandeliers and sumptuous lighting add further texture, particularly during the Paris scenes and grand society ball sequences.

The sheer breadth of Anne Lister’s life is astonishing. Businesswoman, aesthete, scientist, traveller and lesbian pioneer, she was ahead of her time in almost every respect. This production captures her complexity with intelligence, beauty and emotional depth. Rich in atmosphere and storytelling, Northern Ballet’s Gentleman Jack is a remarkable tribute to a remarkable woman. I loved it.