Thanks to Wales Millennium Centre for offering us with press tickets to Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Magnificence for the aim of this evaluation
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Neglect the Sleeping Magnificence acquainted from the Disney animation. And – though Matthew Bourne units his Sleeping Magnificence to Tchaikovsky’s traditional ballet rating – neglect any concepts of pirouetting fairies in pastel tutus too.
As a result of, as is at all times the case with the boundary-pushing, visionary that’s Matthew Bourne and his world acclaimed New Adventures dance firm, this can be a darkish and dramatic retelling of the traditional fairy story, with a gothic edge and stuffed with the surprising.
There are twists and turns aplenty on this manufacturing, and I don’t simply imply from the dancers… though they’re splendidly nimble as they inform the story by means of dance of all types.
It’s funnier than you’ll think about for a begin, with some skillful puppetry within the opening scenes because the free-spirited child Princess Aurora creates havoc in her citadel bed room, a lot to the delight of the viewers.
As Aurora ages, Ashley Shaw retains this free-spirited nature, dancing bare-footed and falling for the gardener Leo (Andrew Monaghan), giving us the roots of a love story, relatively than our Sleeping Magnificence being awoken later within the efficiency by an entire stranger. The pair make their duets, which characteristic some technically tough strikes, really feel easy and lightweight.
This isn’t simply ballet; it’s theatrical storytelling by means of dance and performers comparable to Daisy Might Kemp because the nanny and Ben Brown because the darkish fairy Carabosse and, later, her son Caradoc deliver a lot to their portrayals with physique language and facial features, in addition to the dancing.
After which there are the vampires. Sure, actually! I gained’t give away an excessive amount of however the darker undertones give the story a brand new lease of life that goes down rather well with the viewers.
Lez Brotherston’s set is decadent, however by no means too imposing. Golden pillars and heavy golden drapes body the stage within the first act, which is about in 1890 (purposefully chosen because it was the 12 months of the ballet’s first efficiency).
Because the well-known curse is imposed on the child, faceless dancers give us a glimpse into the longer term – such a intelligent storytelling system. We transfer subsequent to the Edwardian interval, stuffed with light-coloured costumes and waltz-infused dances at Aurora’s coming of age social gathering, whereas the feisty black and crimson of the ultimate scenes depict the supernatural love story’s ‘comfortable ever after with a twist’ within the modern-day.
An enormous full moon behind the stage and refined lighting creates such environment.
I took my 13 12 months outdated daughter to the press night time, this being the third of Bourne’s productions she’s seen following The Nutcracker and Cinderella. She’s loved all of them, however she stated that is her favorite but. We each beloved the best way the music remained traditional however the story was so impressed and totally different to what you anticipate from the acquainted fairy story, the distinction working nicely.
The age steerage is 5+ with no admittance to below 2s. There are a few moments which extra delicate kids could discover somewhat scary however nothing too sinister (or not more than your common Disney movie in any case). There have been loads of younger kids within the viewers who all gave the impression to be loving the efficiency, though in the event that they’re large followers of the Disney movie it could be price warning them prematurely that this can be a very totally different.
This touring model – in Cardiff till Saturday – marks the tenth anniversary of the manufacturing’s premiere, which itself was created for New Adventures’ 25th birthday celebrations, and really rapidly grew to become the fastest-selling manufacturing within the firm’s historical past.
The one slight criticism from me is that, because the manufacturing initially opened, there’s been a lot debate concerning the lack of consent in Sleeping Fantastic thing about kissing somebody who’s asleep, and this 10th anniversary manufacturing would have been the proper alternative for Bourne to actually deliver his manufacturing updated by discovering a approach round that. #
It result in some attention-grabbing and vital discussions with my daughter on the best way residence in any case.
Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Magnificence is at Wales Millennium Centre till Saturday 4 February, 7.30pm every night plus 2.30pm on Thursday and Saturday. Tickets are nonetheless accessible, from £18. Age steerage: 5+, no admittance to below 2s. For extra info and to e-book tickets, go to the web site right here.
Picture credit score: Johan Persson
