Guidance
Parental guidance recommended
Daphnis and Chloë contains stylised depictions of sexual harassment
Creatives
The artists and creatives behind the production
Choreography
Music
Designer
Lighting Designer
Discover
A mythical love story
Like many instances in his career, Ashton was driven to create new work after being inspired by music: in the case of Daphnis and Chloë, it was Maurice Ravel’s symphony of the same that galvanised him. Ravel’s 1912 score was commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes and musically depicts the Hellenistic myth about the love between the goatheard Daphnis and the shepherdess Chloë, and the trials and tribulations they navigate. Abundantly lush in its melodies, the music so moved Ashton that he ‘sometimes... felt that it was like waves that were going to submerge me’. Daphnis and Chloë premiered on 3 April 1951 with Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes in the leading roles.
To find out more about the Frederick Ashton: read our Creative Spotlight: Frederick Ashton
Accessibility and resources
There is lift access and there are step-free routes to over 100 seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony and Amphitheatre. Some seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony, Amphitheatre and the Donald Gordon Grand Tier are accessed by 9 steps or fewer. There are 10 steps or more to access seats in the Orchestra Stalls.
You can use the assistive listening systems in our auditoriums. Surtitles, captions and translations in English are displayed on screens above the stage and around the auditorium.
Join our Access Scheme for priority access to tickets and to inform us of your access requirements.
See our Accessibility page for more information or view a visitors guide (PDF, 12.0 MB).
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