Review: MATTHEW BOURNE'S SLEEPING BEAUTY, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, November 17 2015
Having enjoyed success with his productions of Nutcracker! and Swan Lake, Matthew Bourne has created a gothic ballet interpretation of Sleeping Beauty- completing his Tchaikovsky trilogy.
As is typical with a Matthew Bourne production, the show is visually spectacular. The scene settings vary to the point where it almost seems like an entirely different performance. From inside the castle at the beginning to the garden party and then Aurora's bedroom the mood of the backdrop and costumes change wildly- making the production all the more impressive.
When creating the piece, Matthew Bourne researched as many different versions of the Sleeping Beauty story that he could find. Although the tagline "a gothic romance" gives you some indication, it becomes apparent during the first act that this is not the Disney version! Although the performance is dark, there is nothing inappropriate that would prevent families from enjoying the performance. The dancing is faultless and the performers are hugely talented.
There are a couple of moments where dance alone isn't hugely successful with storytelling. While the story is generally well known, this version is not and there are a few instances where things get a little confusing. However, the subtle humour comes across as very clever without dialogue and make elements of the performance quite witty. Overall this is a stunning production with incredible dancers which makes for a very enjoyable evening.
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty is on tour around the UK.
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