Marquee TV Best of 2025

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to look back at the stories, performances, and artists that defined our year together. Marquee TV premiered over 100 new titles in 2025. From boundary-pushing dance pieces to historically accurate opera, riveting Shakespearean dramas, and detailed artist portraits, we’re proud to have curated titles that surprised us, moved us, challenged us, and reminded us why the arts matter. 

We’re looking back at the titles you loved the most: the most watched, most-rewatched, and most talked about titles of 2025. Whether you discovered a new favorite artist or returned to a classic in a fresh new form, these most-viewed titles reflect the artistic passion and curiosity of our awesome audience. 

Theater: David Tennant and Cush Jumbo’s Macbeth 

Captivating, stylish, and deliciously dark, this Donmar Warehouse production of Macbeth was not only Marquee TV’s most-watched Shakespeare title of the year, but it was our most-watched production of the year overall. Starring David Tennant and Cush Jumbo, this production will have you on the edge of your seat. 

Tennant’s self-righteous Macbeth is cold-blooded and calculated. Thanks to innovative surround sound, every soliloquy is a whispered confession only the audience can hear, intimate, unsettling, and impossible to ignore. You feel as if you’re in on Macbeth’s every inner thought. 

Jumbo’s Lady Macbeth is steely yet soft-spoken, ruthless yet soft. Her complex partnership with Macbeth is entirely believable, the perfect blend of loving and demanding. It’s easy to see how her descent into madness unfurls so quickly. 

Max Webster’s bold direction turns this Macbeth into a cinema-worthy psychological thriller. With brilliant close captures and the impressive surround sound, this production pulls you directly into the Macbeths’ unraveling minds, as ambition mutates into madness. 

Ballet: Ashtron Triple – The Royal Ballet

We’re not surprised that this tribute to one of ballet’s greatest visionaries was on the most-watched list this year. This triple bill features three of Frederick Ashton’s beloved short ballets from various points in his career: Rhapsody, first performed in 1980; Scènes de Ballet, first performed in 1948; and A Month in the Country, first performed in 1976. This is the ultimate celebration of ballet.

The Ashton Triple opens with Ashton’s Rhapsody, where Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambé honor Mikhail Baryshnikov’s original role with sparkling precision. Set to Rachmaninoff’s beloved Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, their light footwork and buoyant musicality seem effortless on stage. In Scènes de Ballet, Sarah Lamb and Vadim Muntagirov carve striking geometric patterns across the stage to Stravinsky’s punchy and rhythmic score. Ashton’s choreography was revolutionary at the time. He choreographed the piece to make sense from any angle, with dancers executing sharp, angular movements with the soft grace of a ballerina. Ashton famously shared that Scènes de Ballet, “has a distant, uncompromising beauty which says I am here, beautiful, but I will make no effort to charm you.”  

The program finishes with the short narrative ballet A Month in the Country, based on a play of the same name. Marianela Nuñez captures the restrained longing of Natalia Petrovna that will have tears in your eyes, and Matthew Ball is infuriatingly believable as the charming Beliaev. This is an essential tour of some of Frederick Ashton’s beloved short pieces. 

Contemporary Ballet: Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes 

Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes was 2025’s most-watched contemporary ballet production on Marquee TV. This nostalgic reimagining of the iconic 1948 film by Michael Powell and Emeric Presserburer is a double Olivier Award-winning triumph that captures all the glamor, heartbreak, and cinematic flair that made the original movie a landmark success. 

Starring Ashley Shaw (who earned a National Dance Award for this role) as Victoria Page, the young dancer torn between artistic devotion and emotional desire. Torn between love and the obsessive pursuit of greatness, she finds herself in the middle of a gripping love triangle between Composer Julian Craster, danced by Dominic North, and the impresario Boris Lermontov, danced by Adam Cooper. 

True to Matthew Bourne’s signature style, this production blends ballet with an irresistible theatrical flair. From the playful “ballets within a ballet” to the witty vaudeville scenes, Bourne packs this production with plenty of humor and light-hearted moments to balance the story’s darker themes. Combine that with Lez Brotherston’s silver screen-worthy costumes, Paule Constable’s atmospheric lighting, and Duncan McLean’s creative projections, and this production has all the makings of a golden age of Hollywood hit. 

Dance: Car/Men – Chicos Mambos 

While we have plenty of soul-stirring and serious dance productions to enjoy, like Mark Bruce’s Frankenstein and Crystal Pite’s Betroffenheit, there was one joyful dance performance that stood out as a fan favorite in 2025: Car/Men by Chicos Mambo. This wildly inventive, laugh-out-loud play on Bizet’s Carmen shows that dance can be both technically sharp and hilariously playful. 

In this riotously creative take on the opera classic, eight phenomenal male dancers explode onto the stage with a high-octane blend of ballet, flamenco, contemporary dance, acrobatics, and pure theatrical mischief. This “Carmen,” choreographed by Philippe Lafeuille, becomes a playground where gender norms are gleefully subverted, ropes are twisted, and iconic moments, like Carmen’s famous Habanera, are reinvented with Stooge-like physicality and comedic timing. 

Documentary: Breaking Bach 

A later addition to our 2025 lineup, but one of the titles we’re proudest to share, Breaking Bach is part documentary, part performance, and entirely moving. From the moment we learned about this incredible project, we knew we had to bring the story of Breaking Bach to our audience, and we’re so glad we did. 

This uplifting film follows a group of students from North London’s Acland Burghley school as they collaborate with internationally acclaimed choreographer Kim Brandstrup and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Born out of the OAE’s residency at the school, the project unfolds over two years, as Brandstrup and professional dancers Tommy Franzen, Deavion Brown, and Seirian Griffiths guide the students in creating a brand new work that fuses hip hop with the intricate music of Bach. As the project evolved, so did the students. And by the time they premiere Breaking Bach at a sold-out performance at the 2025 Edinburgh International Festival, not only is Bach’s music “in their bodies” but the students can whistle Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, note for note. 

This isn’t just an incredible dance performance; this is a story about the importance of collaboration, access to the arts, and the magic that can happen when two worlds collide. 

Short on time? Check out our short video about the Story of Breaking Bach. 

Art Documentary: Van Gogh Poets and Lovers 

It’s no surprise that Van Gogh Poets and Lovers was our most-watched art documentary of 2025. This film offers unrestricted, up-close access to Van Gogh’s work and a chance to see the National Gallery’s sold-out exhibition for yourself. This film from Exhibition on Screen captures a once-in-a-century moment, allowing audiences everywhere to step inside the landmark show that marked 100 years of Van Gogh at the Gallery. 

This is more than just a gallery tour. Drawing on Van Gogh’s private letters, the documentary reveals a deeper, more intimate portrait of an artist whose brilliance was intertwined with struggle, curiosity, and a relentless drive to capture the essence of humanity.  Seen through high-resolution, crystal-clear cinematography, every swirling brushstroke and textured edge is captured with a clarity difficult to achieve in a crowded gallery. Plus, you’re guided through the exhibition by leading art historians, curators, and Van Gogh experts. If you were lucky enough to see the exhibition in person, this documentary will give you that extra insight and unique perspective that helps you appreciate Van Gogh just that little bit more. 

Classical Music: London Philharmonic Orchestra – Strauss and Brahms 

We have so many incredible orchestra concerts to choose from, but one thing is clear: our audiences love bold, emotionally charged, epic concerts performed by world-class orchestras. It’s easy to see why the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Strauss and Brahms concert was a fan favorite this year. This concert brings together two giants of the orchestral world for a program that really packs a punch. 

Edward Gardner leads the LPO through two monumental works for a show-stopping concert where “not a single note or nuance [goes] unloved” (Bachtrack). The concert begins with Strauss’s Metamorphosen, a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece composed in the final months of World War II. This piece is full of sweeping lines, rich harmonies, and an aching beauty that can only be found at the bitter edges of grief. 

This monumental masterpiece is balanced by Brahms’s radiant, but equally emotional, Symphony No.2. Where Strauss reflects on devastation, Brahms offers a moment of release with charming, sunlit, pastoral scenes filled with quiet joy. By the time you reach the blazing brass finale of this concert, you’ve been on a full emotional journey from loss and grief to hope and triumph.  No wonder this concert was a crowd favorite. 

Music:  Sade Bring Me Home Live 

At Marquee TV, we have a deep appreciation for artistry, and this Grammy-nominated concert is a true show of magnetic, impossible-to-imitate talent. No wonder Sade: Bring Me Home Live was our most-watched contemporary music concert of 2025. More than a singer, Sade Adu is a complete performer, elegant, soulful, and deeply expressive. Her silky blend of jazz, soul, pop, and funk has captured the hearts and ears of fans for decades, and this concert is no exception. 

Captured during her record-breaking world tour, this performance from Ontario, California, gives you a VIP ticket to a truly unmatched performance. This concert is guaranteed to have you singing along on your sofa with hits like “Smooth Operator,” “ Your Love is King,” “No Ordinary Love,” “By Your Side,” and “Soldier of Love.”  Joined by her longtime band, guitarist Stuart Mathewman, bassist Paul Denman, and keyboardist Andrew Hale, this is essential viewing for any R&B lover. Whether you’re discovering her music for the first time or revisiting the songs that helped define a generation, this performance is simply unforgettable. 

Opera: Carmen at Opera Versailles 

This one is a true gem, a rare chance to experience an opera exactly as it first appeared on stage in 1875. This historically accurate production of Carmen at Opera Versailles was our most-watched opera of 2025 by a long shot. Carmen may have famously flopped at its premiere, but history has long since put Bizet’s masterpiece in its rightful place as a cornerstone of the opera repertoire. You can read more about Bizet’s Carmen in our article A Beginner’s Guide to Carmen. 

To celebrate the opera’s 150th anniversary, the Royal Opera of Verailles has recreated every detail of the original production using the original stage direction, music cues, costume sketches, and set designs. This is as close as you’ll get to travelling back in time to the premiere. 

Adèle Charvet is fiercely magnetic as Carmen, and Julien Behr perfectly captures the dutiful, pitiful, and vengeful Don José. His downfall is heartbreaking and inevitable as he abandons his military post and his fiancée to chase the free-spirited Carmen. When the swaggering toreador Excamillo (Alexandre Duhamel) wins Carmen’s affection, jealousy curdles into violent tragedy.  

Learn more about the making of this historic production in this fascinating short, The Making of Carmen.

Short: A Short History of Ballet 

We’re a bunch of ballet lovers here, so it’s no surprise that our most-watched short of the year was A Short History of Ballet with Cynthia Dragoni. 

Side note: if you haven’t explored our library of shorts, you’re missing out. These quick culture fixes are perfect for when you’re short on time but still craving something inspiring, enriching, and beautiful.  

For this short, we teamed up with resident dance expert Cynthia Dragoni of The Dance Lens to create a fast and fascinating overview of ballet’s remarkable history. This short not only gives you a comprehensive breakdown of ballet over the centuries from its roots in Baroque France to the contemporary stages of the Royal Ballet, but Cynthia also brings each era to life with cultural insights, landmark performances, and artistic breakthroughs that shaped its history. This video is packed with clips from performances you can watch on Marquee TV. See something you like? Watch the full production with that extra bit of knowledge of how it contributed to the rich history of ballet. 

If 2025 proved anything, it’s that our audiences know great art when they see it. Thank you for joining us on this year’s artistic journey. Here’s to more unforgettable performances, new discoveries, and plenty of inspiring stories in 2026.