This production of Lady Macbeth is by the Royal Danish Ballet, choreographed by Akram Khan, with set and costume design by Tim Yip.
Many remember the tree on stage—not just a prop, but a presence throughout the work. In creating it, we explored the idea of “roots”—both in nature and in the human spirit.
In myths and legends, trees connect heaven, earth, humans, and the unknown. Here, the tree embodies the tension between body and soul, trauma and reconciliation. Its broken branches and exposed trunk hint at wounds left by human desire, and it slowly emerges from an empty stage, like something long asleep returning to the world.
Costumes echo nature’s own patterns—simple colors and textures, dust on hems responding to movement, light, and space, making the world breathe with the dancers. Time in the piece feels cyclical, as fate and history overlap.
The tree may not symbolize death, but a return—all life and destiny flowing back to the same root.
Lady Macbeth
April 24 – June 4, 2026
Copenhagen Opera House
@akramkhancompany@timyipstime@vincenzo_lamagna@mavin_khoo@nicolamwills@pocahontas502004@kglteater
Lady Macbeth World Premiere
On the evening of the 24th, under the sun shining over the water in Copenhagen, the Copenhagen Opera House witnessed a very satisfying moment. The premiere of Lady Macbeth marked the culmination of our efforts over more than a year. The three concurrent international ballets, each with different backgrounds and natures, went through a process of conflict and mutual discussion, with ups and downs. Finally, a breathtaking performance was presented. Many friends came to offer their congratulations. This was the sixth collaboration with Akram, with a deep spiritual connection and a profound Eastern connotation, offering the world a different perspective. We hope this play can continue and bring enjoyment to Chinese audiences. In the unstable climate of the world, it has received a strong response.
Lady Macbeth
24 April – 4 June 2026
Copenhagen Opera House
A production by the Royal Danish Ballet
Creative Team
Choreography: Akram Khan
Scenography & Costume Design: Tim Yip
Original Music & Sound Design: Vincenzo Lamagna
Orchestration & Musical Arrangement: Mathias Friis-Hansen, Vincenzo Lamagna
Lighting Design: Michael Hulls, Ryan Joseph Stafford
Dramaturgy: Akram Khan, Sunila Galappatti, Yuko Khan
@akramkhancompany@timyipstime@vincenzo_lamagna@mavin_khoo@nicolamwills@pocahontas502004@kglteater
When I first encountered Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, there was an unease that quietly seeped through the unseen world—something cold, as if already written beyond human will. Desire, I felt, moves slowly, almost imperceptibly, drawing one into an irreversible abyss, where morality begins to dissolve. The gates of a valley of death open, and violence acquires its own justification, its own vocabulary.
The strong overpowering the weak becomes an unquestioned law. Blood spilled on the battlefield is reduced to a means—an offering toward absolute power. Trauma becomes the unhealable inscription of an era, yet those who hold power often see nothing beyond the reflection of themselves.
The sorrow of time, unreturnable and silent, is deeply imprinted in the present moment.
—
Lady Macbeth
24 April – 4 June 2026
Copenhagen Opera House
A production by the Royal Danish Ballet
Creative Team
Choreography: Akram Khan
Scenography & Costume Design: Tim Yip
Original Music & Sound Design: Vincenzo Lamagna
Orchestration & Musical Arrangement: Mathias Friis-Hansen, Vincenzo Lamagna
Lighting Design: Michael Hulls, Ryan Joseph Stafford
Dramaturgy: Akram Khan, Sunila Galappatti, Yuko Khan
@akramkhancompany@timyipstime@vincenzo_lamagna@mavin_khoo@nicolamwills@pocahontas502004@kglteater
The 24th brought a satisfying and pleasant evening...
CREATIVE TEAM
Director: Vello Pähn
Choreography: Akram Khan
Scenography (Stage Design): Tim Yip
Costume Design: Tim Yip
Original Music & Sound Design: Vincenzo Lamagna
Orchestration & Musical Arrangement: Mathias Friis-Hansen; Vincenzo Lamagna
Lighting Design: Michael Hulls; Ryan Joseph Stafford
Dramaturgy: Akram Khan; Sunila Galappatti; Yuko Khan
@akramkhancompany@timyipstime@vincenzo_lamagna@mavin_khoo@nicolamwills@pocahontas502004@kglteater
Today Lady Macbeth premieres at @kglteater .
So honoured to have been working intensely on this production that, in my eyes and all other senses, is one of the best things I’ve ever encountered in the world of art. To experience the workflow of @akramkhancompany and just to be around the extremely skilled dancers at @theroyaldanishballet.dancers is a privilege that I so so cherish.
Thank you for letting me be a part of something big.
Toi Toi Toi and love to the whole team. More pictures will come.
Scenography by @timyipstime
#ballet #balletphotography #dancephotography #fineartphotography #ᴍᴏᴏᴅʏɢʀᴀᴍs
VERDENSPREMIERE PÅ "LADY MACBETH" 🩵
Er du klar, når vi i aften åbner dørene til en af scenekunstens og historiens mest kendte og blodige fortællinger – nu fortalt fra et helt nyt perspektiv? Akram Khan har skabt en helt ny ballet, hvor en af William Shakespeares mest berygtede figurer sættes i nyt lys – og endelig får mulighed for at fortælle sin egen historie. 👑🌳
"Lady Macbeth" spiller frem til 04.06.26
🎥 Grow
#JetLiYeJintianOnAI #VideoPodcastLaunch
Man About Town (Chinese Edition) “PRO Talk” Ep.3: Jet Li × Tim Yip
In this conversation with Jet Li, we explore AI and cinema—from image generation to the reconfiguration of aesthetics—trying to touch a future that is still taking shape: as technology moves ever closer to the core of human experience, how will art respond?
#ManAboutTown
@kglteater asked us to make a film about my take on Lady Macbeth and my thoughts on creating this character for @akramkhancompany ‘s new LADY MACBETH and so we made it into three little chapters 💜⚔️👑 swipe for English subtitles and let’s continue the fight to make the world a better place 🔮💜🪐
PREMIERE 24.04.26
🎥 @mariaalbrechtsen
music @vincenzo_lamagna
costume @timyipstime
Months in the making, recent weeks in the studio have drawn the creative process into deeper layers of intention and nuance.
Akram Khan’s Lady Macbeth for the Royal Danish Ballet
24 April - 4 June
Opera House, Copenhagen
Images by @mariaalbrechtsen
#JetLiYeJintianOnAI #VideoPodcastLaunch
Man About Town (Chinese Edition) “PRO Talk” Ep.3: Jet Li × Tim Yip
In this conversation with Jet Li, we explore AI and cinema—from image generation to the reconfiguration of aesthetics—trying to touch a future that is still taking shape: as technology moves ever closer to the core of human experience, how will art respond?
“In this era, I feel people need to learn about ‘death’—to see it as something that must be experienced. When you begin to confront and resolve ‘death’ while you are still living, that is when you start to become free.”
#ManAboutTown
