The Giselle we see today may not quite be the radical, supernatural production that chilled and titillated audiences at the Paris Opera in 1841. Several choreographic tweaks and additions have streamlined its text, and its designs have been modernised. But Peter Wright's delicately gothic staging for the Royal has not only retained the essence of the ballet's romantic style but also found a way of making its story resonate for modern audiences. However corny the plot may sound - following a young peasant girl whose heart is broken by a duplicitous aristocrat, and an army of ghostly women, wreaking revenge on her behalf - the ballet still speaks poetic truths about desire, illusion and the allure of death. Among the Giselles dancing this season are Tamara Rojo, Marianela Núñez and Lauren Cuthbertson, the last two making their debuts.
• Royal Opera House, WC2, to 26 May
