The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) is set to ignite stages across the country with two stunning and thought-provoking ballets – the powerful The Firebird and the evocative My Brilliant Career, presented in association with Avis. Created by two of the ballet world’s star choreographers – Loughlan Prior (named one to watch in 2025 by US Dance Magazine) and the award-winning Cathy Marston, this season promises to be a tour de force of storytelling, movement, and theatrical spectacle.
April sees the return of Loughlan Prior’s The Firebird, a dazzling reimagining of the Russian fairytale set in a dystopian desert world where water is more valuable than gold. Originally premiering in 2021 to sold-out audiences in Wellington and Auckland, the production was cut short due to Covid restrictions. Now, in 2025, it finally makes its long-awaited debut in the South Island.
Prior’s expressive choreography, set against Tracy Grant Lord’s striking costume and set designs enhanced by immersive projections from POW Studios, brings to life a world both magical and perilously real. With Igor Stravinsky’s sweeping score performed by a live orchestra in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch, under the baton of Hamish McKeich, The Firebird is set to be one of the most visually and emotionally captivating productions of the year.
Complementing this grand spectacle is the New Zealand premiere of My Brilliant Career, choreographed by the internationally acclaimed Cathy Marston for Queensland Ballet in 2023 and now performed by the RNZB for the first time. Based on Miles Franklin’s iconic novel and familiar to many through the 1979 film starring Judy Davis and Sam Neill, this one-act ballet explores the fierce independence and passion of a young woman determined to carve her own path in life. Marston, known for her deeply intelligent and character-driven choreography, brings Franklin’s timeless heroine to life in a powerful and intimate portrayal that will resonate with modern audiences.
