Dragonfly North has been commissioned to produce a six-part documentary on the inner workings of Paris’ iconic Moulin Rouge for BBC Arts.
The commission for the Manchester production house is one of a quartet of new commissions from BBC Arts, with other docs covering the work of the National Trust, painter Pablo Picasso and cultural exploration in Africa.
With the working title Inside the Moulin Rouge, the new doc will lay bare the intricacies of the world’s most famous cabaret and its artistic director – Yorkshirewoman Janet Pharaoh.
The show will follows Janet as she recruits a new cohort of dancers to the team, many of whom are British. From auditions in Leeds and London, new recruits will be cast to take part in the Moulin Rouge’s high-kicking spectacular shows, while living together in apartments in Paris.
As well as the young dancers, the team includes more than 450 staff members, who work to keep the extraordinary nightly show running, at a make-or-break moment in the Parisian institution’s history, as it comes back from the restrictions of covid and lockdown.
Of the thousands who audition, most will get rejected. Only the very best will ever get the chance to secure one of the most coveted and lucrative contracts in the world of performance.
The series will follow the story of the young Brits who want to dance at one of the world’s most famous venues, as well as telling the story of the landmark venue’s history, the craftsmanship that goes into the costumes and staging, and the choreography and performance that make up the incredible dance numbers.
The BBC’s head of arts and classical music TV, Suzy Klein, said: “I’m delighted that these programmes for 2023 showcase BBC Arts’ reputation for making documentaries of depth, complexity, discovery and unparalleled quality. Inside The Moulin Rouge takes us behind the scenes in Paris to discover a British cultural success story – the world’s most famous music-hall, dominated by dancers from across the UK and led by feisty Yorkshirewoman Janet Pharaoh.”
Inside The Moulin Rouge is a Dragonfly North production for BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. The executive producers are Peter Wallis-Tayler and Ros Ponder. The commissioning editor for BBC Arts is Alistair Pegg.
