The Prospect Before Us is a one act comic ballet in seven scenes, choreographed for the Vic-Wells Ballet by Ninette de Valois to music by William Boyce arranged by Constant Lambert.

With its premiere in 1940, the first year of the war, de Valois set out to produce a light-hearted and jolly piece of escapism. Inspired by an eponymous 18th century engraving by Thomas Rowlandson, it has an intricate plot about the rivalry of two 18th century theatrical managers who fight over a troupe of dancers that includes Didelot, Noverre, and Vestris. The final scene with Robert Helpmann as Mr. O'Reilly doing a "drunk dance" is well known.^[1]

• Robert Helpmann as Mr. O'Reilly of the Pantheon
• Claude Newman as Mr. Taylor of the King's Theatre
• Frederick Ashton as Monsieur Noverre
• Alan Carter as Monsieur Didelot
• John Hart as Monsieur Vestris
• John Field
• Deryk Mendel
• Michael Somes
• Leslie Edwards
• Pamela May

Source:^[2]

• List of historical ballet characters

Notes

Sources

• Wearing, J. P. (2014). The London Stage 1940-1949: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 978-0810893054

• Short BBC excerpt from Dancing in the Blitz