Northern Ballet’s Gentleman Jack review: Sexy, sapphic and spectacular 

This new production tells the incredible story of the “first modern lesbian”, Anne Lister 

BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY TRISTRAM KENTON

I am a ballet virgin. I’ll admit, I don’t know the first thing about pliés, arabesques or pirouettes. But I do know how Northern Ballet’s new full-length ballet Gentleman Jack made me feel. 

This brand new production aims, in the words of its dramaturg Clare Croft, to bring in “folks in the queer community who’ve never set foot in a ballet theatre”. As you’ve likely guessed, Gentleman Jack tells the incredible story of Anne Lister, also known as the “first modern lesbian”. Top hat in tow, this new ballet dives into Anne’s life both as an industrial entrepreneur and sapphic lover. Choreographed by the multi-award-winning Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, this new ballet’s team also includes Sally Wainwright, series-writer for the wildly popular BBC series Gentleman Jack. 

As the curtain lifts, we are greeted by the familiar silhouette of Anne Lister (Gemma Coutts). Top hat, cane and coat firmly on, she moves with confidence and ease around the men surrounding her. Throughout the production, it’s fascinating to see the way that Anne manoeuvres her interactions with men and business, sometimes placing herself in great danger just to be heard. This entrepreneurship is often lost in the narrative about her life, so it is pertinent to see this fundamental part of her character explored so fully in Northern Ballet’s Gentleman Jack. 

Like most sapphics in the theatre, I was holding my breath for Marianna Lawton (Saeka Shirai) to appear on stage. Resplendent in a beautiful orange dress, even the most untrained eye could see how Anne’s movements change at the sight of her lover. In one particularly sexy sequence, the pair move in complete harmony. For those who know how this love affair ends, it will be no surprise that Anne’s heartbreak feels violently real. 

Anne Walker’s (Rachael Gillespie) arrival on stage brings some brief moments of humour. Her courtship with Anne is sweet, tender and shy to begin with, culminating in their historic secret wedding by the end of the production. 

Throughout the ballet, the set swirls around the dancers, showing images of Shibden Hall and vast, sprawling countryside. There’s a particularly fun scene which sees Anne head to the city only to be completely enveloped in a crowd of horny, naked women. It’s delightfully queer. 

What was perhaps most striking was the depiction of Anne’s infamous diaries. Written in secret code, these diaries span over five million words. In Northern Ballet’s production, these words become living, breathing, moving things that are both dictated by Anne but also control her too. Dancers run across the stage as she furiously scribbles with a quill in a flurry of unbounded passion. 

It can be easy to forget that Anne was a real person. In reading books or watching shows, I have often failed to remember that she too lived, breathed and loved like us. But watching Northern Ballet’s new production, it was moving to see Anne in all her corporeal glory. To witness her swagger, her dedication and her unashamed authenticity in front of my eyes. 

Words cannot express how powerful it is to know that someone like you existed hundreds of years ago. But, as I’ve learnt, ballet can. 

Find out more about Northern Ballet’s Gentleman Jack here: northernballet.com/gentleman-jack

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