I'm sure we've all heard of the Peaky Blinders, the highly charged hit TV series, a brutal Birmingham inter-war gangster drama. 

Now adapted for the stage by the creator of the TV show, Steven Knight, alongside choreographer Benoit Swan Pouffer, the talented Rambert Dance Company have brought their spin on the dark drama to the Lowry as part of a highly anticipated national tour.

They begin at the end of the First World War, the stage opening to a stark and hard-hitting portrayal of the horrors of the battlefield, as an entourage of soldiers peel themselves out from the trenches and emerge through the smoke to embrace their comrades. 

Bemjamin Zephaniah, providing the (recorded) narrative, tells us ‘you young men of the tunnelling brigade, you are all dead. Not counted among the dead because your bodies were not buried with the dead. But dead inside…’  And therein lies the tale, a legacy of trauma, the making and breaking of Thomas Shelby.

In the first half of the show, fast-paced and action-packed, we follow the Shelby men as they re-unite with Polly and Ada who have been holding down the family business while the men were at war. 

The men take back control, ‘dealing’ with anyone in their way.

We experience the bleak industrial Black Country backdrop, the horse racing, the wealth, and, in a glitzy 1920s’ club, Thomas finds love. But his lady, Grace, is a dual agent in the pocket of the Inspector and robs him whilst in the throes of passion. 

A fight for control leads to the death of The Inspector, and the death of Changretta, a rival gang leader. Thomas and Grace get married, but she is tragically shot on their wedding night by Changretta’s widow.

As Tommy descends into despair, looking for oblivion, he turns to opium. Experienced in dream-like hallucinatory scenes, Tommy’s past comes back to haunt him, reliving the horrors of war and the loss of his love. 

A different feel to this second act, these more reflective moments are touching and emotional. Welcomed back into his wider Traveller family, he finds his mettle again.

Rambert Dance always deliver something different. Their dancers all have a beautiful quality of movement, and are flawless, but it is their artistry that sets them apart. The story flowed through them with ease. 

Rambert have a way of seamlessly transitioning a concept into a commanding stage performance which draws you in and takes you on their journey. The entire ensemble were outstanding. It’s a busy stage, but regardless of where your eyes were drawn, you were enthralled. 

Some incredibly complex choreography - the carousel horses, the mass brawls, the opium den - was delivered with precise execution which must have taken intense rehearsal and showed masterful dynamics.

The stage was unlike any I have seen before, a raised platform with trenches - allowing the dancers to appear and disappear to fall off the edge and return, like a metaphor, adding an extra dimension to the dancer’s work. 

The set changed with every scene, accompanied by some dazzling special effects. The lighting was masterful, delivering layers of perspective and depth and the dancers, some in shadow, some in light, all done with meaning.

The music was an absolute driving force behind this production. Played by a live band on stage throughout, we were treated to a soundtrack that sold the tension, the aggression, the tenderness, and the despair. Curated by composer Roman Gianarthur, alongside recorded artists such as Nick Cave, Laura Mvula and Radiohead, the live set was demanding, gripping and emotional which fully immersed the audience into the world of the Peaky Blinders.

Are they just jumping on an already successful bandwagon? There is an element of that, but I believe this can stand alone and deserves every credit. This was a truly outstanding production which can be enjoyed by all, with experience of the TV show or not. Rambert absolutely deliver here, it was a triumph.

Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby is at The Lowry until 18 March. Go and see it, by order of The Peaky Blinders!