Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty

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Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty – ‘A Gothic Romance’ – Review

When one thinks of Sleeping Beauty one often recalls the Disney film, an old childhood classic peppered with memorable songs and iconic characters. Matthew Bourne’s interpretation however could not be further from this, gothic, dark and super dramatic this is one ballet you do not want to miss! First premiering in 2012, this production marks the 10th anniversary revival of the show. As is typical with Bourne’s style of interpretation, the ballet is not ballet in the classic sense but more a decadent and lavish burst of energy accompanied by glorious dances and flamboyant costumes.

[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”29275″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]The ballet opens with a sheer safety curtain upon which the beginning lines of the story are projected, answering the question as to how the audience will begin to understand the storywithout narration and solely through the medium of dance, the remaining story is told through the incredible dancing and acting talents of the performers who are flawless. The set is designed to give a sense of grandeur as one would expect from a royal palace, gold pillars, heavy golden drapes and embellished frames adorn the stage. The story begins with a silhouette of the evil fairy Carabosse bringing a baby to the King and Queen, the dramatic setting and light effects tell you this is going to be a real teat! Princess Aurora is an infant in the beginning of the show and you may therefore expect a doll in a cot, imagine therefore the delight of the audience as the baby is actually a puppet, manoeuvred by skilled puppeteers she wreaks havoc as a young infant! The baby puppet was a huge hit with the audience and evoked more than a few laughs and chuckles. The future is shown to us by faceless dancers which was a clever and intriguing way to show a glimpse of what was to come.

There were a number of set changes during the performance each was well thought out and perfectly put together, amongst these a forest lit by lanterns, a nightclub scene and aparticular favourite of mine, a garden party set in the palace garden, cleverly depicted through a backdrop of the palace in the distance while rosebushes and trees were scattered around the stage. This made it really feel as if you were in the show and made it more immersive. Once in her 100 year sleep the question is raised how will Aurora’s true love, gardener Leo, survive to rescue her……let’s just say a becoming immortal will help….

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Scene 2 begins with some clever adaptation to the set, the gates to the palace, which were locked to hide away Aurora after she was put into a deep sleep, are overgrown with ivy and the dancers are dressed in modern day clothing. The story then winds it way to its conclusion with the Princess’ true love looking for her and with assistance from the fairy vampires he befriended during the end of the first act. Dressed in red velvet and performing some fabulous dance sequence, the show at no point losses your attention as it is simply captivating. A sumptuous treat for the eyes, Sleeping Beauty is a wonderful show, the dancers were never still, constantly working hard to entertain of course through ballet but also facial expression and gestures which were excellent throughout. The right amount of intrigue with a hint of gothic styling Matthew Bourne has outdone himself and this adaptation is an absolute must see.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

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