Although the level of violence in the television series Peaky Blinders was grisly and gruesome (so bad I said it twice) it was compelling viewing.

But a ballet? All swirling costumes and tippy top toes? Didn't seem to make sense.

The blurb said adventurous, dynamic and daring dance company Rambert continue to take the world by storm as they announce the return of their popular dance theatre show, Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby.

Well, it must be good as it is on a return tour.

We went on opening night, Tuesday, September 24, with much anticipation.

Mustard gas or gun smoke shrouded the stage which with its trench along the front added a new dimension.

The dark atmospheric lighting was effective, as the soulless shell-shocked survivors, some damaged beyond repair, emerged in WW1 uniforms, later they appear suited and booted before finally the dress code was all pants!

In the first half there was a lot of flaying and swaying which reminded me of school when we did movement to music and everyone went freestyle.

The second half was better with set choregraphed pieces and three amazing duets and lots of leg extensions as displayed by Angela Rippon on Strictly Come Dancing.

The principals were brilliant – Conor Kerrigan (Tommy), Naya Lovell (Grace), Adél Bálin (Ada), Simone Damberg-Würtz (Polly), Aishwarya Raut (Widow Changretta) and Dylan Tedaldi (Arthur).

What the show needed for me was something I could identify as traditional Romany dancing, or folk/clog dancing to reflect the Selby family’s gypsy/working class background although loved the moment the caravan was burned and the wedding scene.

The stage becomes everything from trenches to fairground carousel, racecourse, hospital to nightclub.

The scenery was all black and foreboding and as poppy petals fall, we learn despairing soul of Thomas Selby has descended into drug addiction. As if our charismatic anti-hero couldn’t get any worse.

Written by the series creator Steven Knight, with choreography and direction by Rambert’s artistic director Benoit Swan Pouffer it certain put a new perspective on the story of murder, mayhem and criminality in Birmingham in the first half of the 20th century.

Despite Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby being the company’s longest and most successful touring work it wasn’t really for me but from the standing ovation at the end I was in a minority of one.

My 25-year-old granddaughter and the American lady sat next to her both loved the show.

Although critic Gerry Parker also next to us in the stalls said he couldn’t follow the story before admitting he hadn’t watched the tv series – well that explains it!

I did love the very loud soundtrack played by a live on-stage band.

Led by musical director Yaron Engler with a specially commissioned score by Roman GianArthur, it includes iconic Peaky tracks from Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Radiohead, Anna Calvi, The Last Shadow Puppets, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club it rocked the theatre.

The set design is by Moi Tran, lighting by Natasha Chivers and costumes by Richard Gellar, with production dramaturg by Kaite O’Reilly who is also the narrative director for poet Benjamin Zephaniah’s role.Acting director Kim Pearce, illusions director Filipe J. Carvalho, fight director Adrian Derrick-Palmer, props supervisor Lily Mollgaard, and intimacy director Yarit Dor, with sound design by Moshik Kop, were also part of the creative team.