Matthew Bourne and New Adventures Commemorates 30 Years with a Year Long Celebration

Matthew Bourne, New Adventures and Re:Bourne are delighted to announce a year-long celebration of work to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the company. Since the first performance in 1987 New Adventures has become a great British success story of UK theatre. In addition to extensive UK touring over the past 30 years New Adventures has played in 15 countries across the world, including the USA, Japan, China, Russia, across Europe and Australia.

Throughout their anniversary year, New Adventures will play over 300 performances at a record 34 UK venues and will perform in six countries across the world. This will include nine weeks at Sadler's Wells and nearly 40 weeks of touring elsewhere. The productions will feature over 90 dancers.

The celebrations begin with Matthew's first new production in four years "THE RED SHOES" which opens at Sadler's Wells this week and is the twelfth full length production in the New Adventures repertoire.

Matthew then returns to his roots with "EARLY ADVENTURES", a programme of early works that launched his career and saw the birth of the style, wit and sheer entertainment that have become hallmarks of the New Adventures company today. The tour begins on 2 February 2017 and plays through to 12 April 2017. Full casting announced below.

Also in April, New Adventures and Re:Bourne's production of "LORD OF THE FLIES" will have its Australian premiere at Arts Centre Melbourne from Wednesday 5 April - Sunday 9 April 2017. This is the first international season for "LORD OF THE FLIES" and an Australian exclusive. Based on William Golding's iconic novel the season follows the success of the ground-breaking UK tour in 2014 in a unique collaboration of British and Australian creative talent.

We finish the year with the much-anticipated return of one of New Adventures' most loved productions "CINDERELLA" to Sadler's Wells for Christmas, following its sell-out season in 2010. 2017 marks 20 years since the production first premiered in the West End. Tickets will go on sale Monday 6 March 2017.

Re:Bourne, the charitable arm of New Adventures will be continuing to build on its ground-breaking projects in schools, at Summer Festivals and in care homes for people living with Dementia. The charity will deliver a large-scale reminiscence project across the UK to celebrate the return of Cinderella uniting older people with young people.

The 2017-2018 New Adventures Choreographer Award, which has become one of the sector's most sought-after choreographic prizes, will open for applications early in 2017.

Matthew Bourne said today: "I'm delighted that we will be delivering such a busy programme of touring productions and projects in our thirtieth anniversary year. After three decades New Adventures continues to revisit, revise and refresh much-loved repertoire as well as making new work for audiences across the UK and around the world. Since 2008 Re:Bourne has exceeded all my expectations in terms of the breadth and reach of work it delivers and I'm thrilled that 2017 will be such a true reflection of everything we do best."

The World Premiere of

"THE RED SHOES"

Based on the film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and the Hans Christian Andersen fairy-tale

Music by BERNARD HERRMANN

Following sold out week long runs in Plymouth and Salford, "THE RED SHOES" opens at Sadler's Wells tomorrow, Tuesday 6 December, and plays in London until 29 January 2017 before continuing its UK tour.

A beloved fairy-tale and Academy Award-winning movie, "THE RED SHOES" has seduced audiences and inspired generations of dancers with its tale of obsession, possession and one girl's dream to be the greatest dancer in the world. Victoria Page lives to dance but her ambitions become a battleground between the two men who inspire her passion.

"Victoria Page", the girl who dreams of being a great dancer, immortalised on screen by Moira Shearer, has been created by New Adventures star, Ashley Shaw, most recently seen across the UK and internationally as "Aurora" in Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty. Rising star and fellow "Aurora", Cordelia Braithwaite, will also play the role, along with Sleeping Beauty favourite Katrina Lyndon in her principal role debut (at certain performances).

Matthew Bourne's magical new adaptation of the legendary Powell and Pressburger film reunites him with his regular collaborators and New Adventures Associate Artists and the team that brought you the world-wide hit, Sleeping Beauty; Lez Brotherston (set and costumes), Paule Constable (lighting) and Paul Groothuis (sound).

This World Premiere is set to a new score arranged by New Adventures Associate Artist, Terry Davies using the mesmerizing music of golden-age Hollywood composer, Bernard Herrmann (most famous for his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles and Martin Scorsese), whose work ranges from the witty and playfully robust to the achingly romantic and bittersweet.

Full Cast Announced For

Matthew Bourne's "EARLY ADVENTURES"

SPITFIRE, TOWN AND COUNTRY, THE INFERNAL GALOP AND WATCH WITH MOTHER

UK Tour Begins Thursday 2 February 2017

We are delighted to announce that Matthew Bourne's "EARLY ADVENTURES" will return in 2017, opening on Thursday 2 February, at the Bath Theatre Royal. With designs by long-time collaborator Lez Brotherston, Matthew returns to his roots with a programme of hit pieces that launched his career and saw the birth of the style, wit and sheer entertainment that have become hallmarks of the New Adventures company today.

The cast includes New Adventures favourites Reece Causton, Tom Clark, Daniel Collins, Sophia Hurdley, Mari Kamata, Jamie McDonald and Edwin Ray as well as Joao Carolino and Paris Fitzpatrick who are making their New Adventures debut.

The tour runs at the Bath Theatre Royal until 4 February and continues to Exeter Northcott 9 - 11 February 2017; Richmond Theatre 13 - 15 February 2017; Warwick Arts Centre 16 - 18 February 2017; Orchard Theatre, Dartford 20 - 22 February 2017; Cambridge Corn Exchange 23 - 25 February 2017; Oxford Playhouse 6 - 8 March 2017; Poole Lighthouse 10 - 11 March 2017; Grand Theatre Blackpool 21 - 22 March 2017; Liverpool Playhouse 28 March - 1 April 2017; Sadler's Wells 3 - 8 April 2017; Royal & Derngate Northampton 10 -12 April 2017.

The production will also have two international dates in Madrid and Beverly Hills.

THE INFERNAL GALOP

A French dance with English subtitles - This is France as seen by the uptight English imagination, with all the traditional clichés joyously paraded for our entertainment and climaxing in Offenbach's inevitable Can-Can!

TOWN AND COUNTRY

Lie back and think of England... Moving and hilarious, this heartfelt pastiche explores notions of national character from a bygone era through the evocative music of Edward Elgar, Noël Coward and Percy Grainger, amongst others.

SPITFIRE

An advertisement divertissement: A celebration of male vanity and an affectionate comment on the preening grandeur of the danseur noble, it places Perrot's Pas De Quatre (originally made as a kind of 'diva-off' for the four leading ballerinas of the 19th Century) in the world of men's mail order underwear advertising.

WATCH WITH MOTHER

Seen but not heard? - Conkers, Hopscotch, Doctors & Nurses; Children's games can be all-consuming, competitive and sometimes cruel. Based on Joyce Grenfell's famous "Nursery School" sketches ("George... Don't do that") and set to Percy Grainger's own piano compositions and arrangements of Bach and Faure, this 1991 piece has not been seen for nearly 25 years.

Please note the programme varies at each venue so please check with individual theatre websites for details.

Australian & International Premiere

New Adventures And Re:Bourne's Production Of "LORD OF THE FLIES"

Based On The Novel By William Golding

Arts Centre Melbourne Wednesday 5 April - Sunday 9 April 2017

Following the success of New Adventures and Re:Bourne's UK national tour in 2014, "LORD OF THE FLIES", based on the novel by William Golding, will have its first international season at the Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia from Wednesday 5 April - Sunday 9 April 2017.

New Adventures principal dancer Dominic North* will play the principal role of Ralph alongside Luke Murphy (Piggy) and Dan Wright (Jack). They will be joined by six Australian professional dancers: Jordan Bretterton, Shay Debney, Damian Meredith, Taylor Scanlon, Kyall Shanks and Patrick Weir and a company of 24 boys and young men who will be cast following a large-scale and state-wide grass-roots community outreach program across Victoria.

Matthew Bourne said: "All of us at New Adventures and Re:Bourne are absolutely delighted that Arts Centre Melbourne will host the first international presentation of Lord of the Flies. Everyone at the Arts Centre has firmly embraced the values of this project and we are proud and honoured to have forged this unique international collaboration."

For more information: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au

Matthew Bourne's "CINDERELLA"

Music by Prokofiev

RETURNS FOR Christmas 2017

New Adventures returns to Sadler's Wells in 2017 for its 16th Christmas Season with Matthew Bourne's "CINDERELLA". Tickets go on sale Monday 6 March 2017.

London 1940... The Blackout... a siren sounds...

New Adventures' "CINDERELLA" is a thrilling and evocative journey through London during the Second World War. Matthew Bourne's interpretation of Prokofiev's haunting score has, at its heart, a true wartime romance. A chance meeting results in a magical night for Cinderella and her dashing young RAF pilot, together just long enough to fall in love before being parted by the horrors of the Blitz.

"CINDERELLA" is both a tribute and a testament to the spirit of London during a time when every second counted and lives were changed forever. Bourne's vivid storytelling has never been more heart-stopping and touching, creating a unique and unforgettable depiction of a familiar and beloved fable.

New Adventures & Re:Bourne is a national portfolio organisation supported using public funds by Arts Council England.

For more information please visit: www.new-adventures.net.