The English National Ballet is back at Sadler’s Wells for a short run of its acclaimed re-working of that audience favourite, Giselle. With new choreography by Akram Khan, this version, which was first performed in 2016, eschews simpering peasants and demented village virgins in favour of displaced migrant factory workers and unfeeling landlords.

The themes of love, betrayal and forgiveness are still there, but this production updates the narrative, making Giselle a garment worker or “outcast” who loves Albrecht, a member of the wealthy class, and is carrying his child.

Audiences expecting Adolphe Adam’s familiar music are in for a shock: Vincenzo Lamagna has adapted many of the pretty tunes into something far darker, with what sounds like a factory siren punctuating the melodies and industrial noises blasting through the theatre. The result is a compelling and visceral score which adds to the drama of the piece.

The choreography too, is far from the style of Romantic ballet, but not too far that we cannot see a connection in the touching and passionate pas de deux between Giselle and Albrecht. Khan interweaves his powerful contemporary style with classical ballet to produce something extraordinarily powerful and moving.

There are no pointe shoes for the dancers in Act I, which makes their use in Act II all the more effective. The Wilis, (led on the opening night by a chilling Stina Quagebeur) remain almost entirely en pointe whenever they are on stage. They are the scariest Wilis you are likely to encounter: dressed in rags, long hair flowing, clutching huge canes like oversized knitting needles in their hands – these are women bent on revenge.

At the performance I saw, Tamara Rojo brought vulnerability coupled with her beautiful technique to her portrayal of Giselle, while James Streeter was a compelling Albrecht.  Jeffrey Cirio danced his heart out as Hilarion and the entire company performs Khan’s strenuous and exacting choreography with passion – they know they have a winner with this production.

The English National Ballet’s Giselle is at Sadler’s Wells until 28 September.