Based on an 1828 French ballet of the same name and inspired by choreographer Frederick Ashton's love of the Suffolk countryside, La Fille mal gardée is one of the choreographer's most joyous creations. Laced with good humor as a whirl of dancing chickens, grouchy guardians and halfwit suitors take to the stage, Ashton's final full-length ballet incorporates some of his most virtuosic choreography to depict a charming, simple tale of boy meets girl. With elements of national folk dance incorporated throughout, from a Lancashire clog dance to a traditional maypole dance, this emphatically English work has remained a celebrated classic in The Royal Ballet's repertory since its successful premiere in 1960.