Northern Ballet’s Merlin is an ambitious, tightly packed production that sweeps its audience through magic, myth, conflict and love. At its heart is a coming-of-age story, told with both cinematic scope and deeply human emotion.

Kevin Poeung is excellent as Merlin, capturing the shifting emotions of adolescence with nuance. By turns a boy delighting in conjuring flowers from nowhere and a frustrated young man desperate – but failing – to fit in with the warriors, Poeung’s performance compels with its honesty. We watch Merlin grow in power but also in uncertainty: he knows he is different, but not yet why, or how to use his gifts.

Saeka Shirai’s Morgan is a striking counterpoint: strong, arrogant, commanding. Used to control, her rejection by Uther sparks a dangerous game of power and seduction. Is her pursuit of him truly desire, or simply the fury of someone unused to being ignored? Shirai’s performance thrives on this ambiguity.

The ballet’s pace slows and softens with the arrival of the Lady of the Lake. Heather Lehan is mesmerizing: playful, magical, fluid. The corps de ballet create waves with their synchronized movements, evoking ebbs and flows of living water – something Northern Ballet excels at, as audiences of Ondine and The Little Mermaid will know. For Merlin, this is a turning point: a vision of joy and lightness, his first real taste of happiness.

The scene continues with Helios, Merlin’s father, who brings strength and confidence. Together, these two encounters transform Merlin from an uncertain boy to a young man sure of himself and infused with the love of his parents. He learns that he doesn’t need to fit in, instead he can live life on his own terms.

There are other moments of beauty: Rachael Gillespie is radiant as Ygraine, embodying youth and playfulness, while Albert Gonzalez Ortiz breathes life and emotion into the dragon puppet, giving it identifiable feelings of fear, rage, humour and trust. In contrast to the fantastical elements of the ballet, Amber Lewis, as the Blacksmith who raises Merlin, grounds the story in something deeply human. Her short temper and stern discipline are recognisable aspects of a powerful and protective maternal love, regardless of the fact that theirs is not a biological relationship. McOnie’s choreography reminds us that family comes in many forms.

Grant Olding’s score has a cinematic flair. Heavy, percussive rhythms drive the battle scenes, while a dark, carnival-esque theme accompanies Morgan’s seduction of Uther. In contrast, the harp that introduces the Lady of the Lake is magical and ethereal, opening a space for lightness after so much turmoil.

Merlin draws from multiple traditions. The Arthurian legend provides its framework, but Helios steps in from Greek mythology, while Morgan’s costuming echoes medieval Japanese samurai. This fusion underlines the idea that identity is never one thing – each of us carries complicated, layered origins.

The production also breaks from convention in smaller but significant ways. Northern Ballet’s warriors are not just men, but women too, portrayed as equals in strength, courage and ferocity: Arthurian Amazons charging into battle with no fear for their own lives.

Ultimately, Merlin has all the ingredients of a family ballet – fantasy, magic, love and war, light and dark – but it also resonates on a deeper level. It’s a story about finding oneself, about family in all its forms, and about the need to overcome hate and division. Merlin, the peacemaker, points towards unity, reflecting the joining of Uther and Ygraine, as well as Helios and the Lady of the Lake.

Drew McOnie’s Merlin is rich, complex and compelling – a ballet that combines myth and magic with a very modern relevance.

Northern Ballet dancers in Merlin Photo: Emily Nuttall

Leeds Grand Theatre until 20th September
Sheffield Lyceum 4th - 8th November