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History

March 2011

On March 14 a double-CD of the music from the ballet The Most Incredible Thing is released under the name Tennant/Lowe. It contains the full performance score of the ballet with orchestrations by Sven Helbig.

2011 March

On March 17 the ballet The Most Incredible Thing has its first public performance at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London. Its genesis can be traced back to a week in where, by chance, two initially unrelated events took place. Ivan Putrov, a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet whom the Pet Shop Boys had got to know through Sam Taylor-Wood, called Neil to ask whether they would write a piece for him to dance to. Two days later, before Neil had even had a chance to ask Chris, Chris called to say that he’d just read a story in a new translation of Hans Christian Andersen’s tales that he thought would make a great ballet: “The Most Incredible Thing”. This eventually led to the Sadler’s Wells production, choreographed by Javier de Frutos and starring Ivan Putrov, Clemmie Sveaas and Aaron Sillis. All ten performances sell out.

May 2011

On May 27 the Pet Shop Boys appear at the Sunderland Stadium of Light, joining Take That at their invitation as “special guests” on their first reunion concerts as a five-piece on what will be the biggest British tour ever – 29 British stadium shows – followed by a short European leg. “45 minutes of intensity,” says Chris.

December 2011

On December 31 the Pet Shop Boys appear at a New Year’s Eve concert on an island in Sydney Harbour.

On this day

1989

Liza Minnelli’s ‘So Sorry, I Said,’ written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys, is released as a single.

1993

Critic J.D. Considine, writing in this date’s issue of Rolling Stone, gives Very a glowing review, stating that it has ‘depth that makes [it] worth hearing again and again.’

1994

The Boys appear in concert in Bogota, Colombia.

2007

Neil and Chris perform at the Sala Palatului (Palatine Hall) in Bucharest. By all reports, the show—their first ever in Romania, and postponed from an earlier date—proves a tremendous success. (The Boys refer to it as ‘the last Fundamental concert.’)

2010

This afternoon Chris attends the first preview performance at London’s Young Vic Theatre of David Almond’s play My Dad’s a Birdman, which includes original music and songs composed by him and Neil.

2016

In Leipzig, Germany, for the start of the European leg of their Super Tour the following night, Chris and Neil attend a performance this evening of The Hidden Cameras and their opening act, Evvol, both of which they thoroughly enjoy.