New National Theatre Ballet to premiere ‘City Lights’ ballet

The New National Theatre Ballet has announced the world premiere of a new ballet adaptation of Charlie Chaplin’s classic film, ‘City Lights’. The production is scheduled to open on October 23, 2026, at the New National Theatre Opera Palace as part of the 2026/2027 season.

Choreographed by Alastair Marriott, a former principal with the Royal Ballet, the production aims to translate Chaplin’s signature humor and human emotion into physical movement. The performance will feature a live orchestral accompaniment of Chaplin’s original music, newly arranged for a full orchestra by conductor and musicologist Timothy Brock. The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the score during the production.

The creative team includes Dick Bird for art and costumes and Ellen Ruge for lighting. The cast features a diverse group of dancers, including Kosuke Okumura, Yoshito Kinoshita, Shunsuke Mizui, and Ren Ishiyama in the role of the Tramp, and Yui Yonezawa, Ayako Ono, Saho Shibayama, and Maha Higashimaho as the blind flower girl.