Don Q Fan Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 (edited) I saw the final performance at The Lowry last night of Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty - re-imagined. I loved it! I had seen it a few years ago at the Liverpool Empire but the audience was a terrible distraction throughout so I remembered nothing except the baby! Last night was so much better and a quiet audience. The sets and costumes were fabulous and I especially enjoyed the first half. I felt I lost the story every so slightly in the second half, don't know if that was just me. Anyone who has watched a lot of Matthew Bourne's work will have easily recognised similarities to Swan Lake in the dances moves. I particularly liked the Red Ballroom scene as I call it - the costumes were gorgeous. In the first half the fairies were great and again they had magnificent costumes. The dance employed 2 moving conveyor belts which the dancers were able to stand and move on - these were at the rear of the stage and were used to great effect I felt. I really enjoyed the scenes with the baby which were staged marionette style - very clever. Leo (the Prince) was danced by Dominic North and Aurora by Cordelia Braithwaite . Adam Maskell played Carbosse/Caradoc - and very sinister he was too! Count Lilac was Liam Mower. For anyone considering going to the Sadlers Wells run or any other I would highly recommend it as a great night out - and not too late the show finished at 9.40pm. Would love to hear any other reviews as mine is not very exhaustive, but I wanted to flag up what a great show this is! Some nice production photos in this review http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/theatre-news/matthew-bournes-sleeping-beauty-ballet-10476268 Edited November 29, 2015 by Don Q Fan 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Thanks, DQF. Our coverage of the previous tour is here, in case anyone wants a reminder: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/2304-matthew-bourne-sleeping-beauty-201213/?hl=%22sleeping+beauty%22 I wonder whether he has made changes? I always found the "red ballroom scene" the weakest bit of the whole story, so it will be interesting to see if it's changed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 I saw the performance at the Lowry on Wednesday night. Due to the fact that MU were playing at home I was very late arriving and didn't have time to get a programme or see the cast list. I recognised many of the dancers but am not familiar enough with the company to identify them with any confidence, apart from Chris Marney who was absolutely outstanding as Lilac. I think it is an absolutely super production. I love Matthew Bourne's homages to the Petipa choreography and the vampire element makes perfect sense - how else will the boyfriend/gardener live long enough to save the Princess. It was a terrific performance throughout and I am looking forward to seeing it again in Liverpool. I would like to thank Matthew Bourne and the Lowry staff who delayed the start by nearly 10 minutes to allow people caught up in the traffic gridlock to arrive. (The journey home was equally horrendous!). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 Why does the world have to stand still for @#!!*#@ football...sigh. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 I was certainly at a standstill - an hour stuck in the queue to get out of the car park! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colman Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 We saw one of the Dublin shows, and it was great fun. I have the idea in my head that the the red ballroom scene had changed from the recording we have, but I haven't actually gone and checked. The attendance was awful, and Bourne tweeted later that they probably wouldn't be able to come back to Dublin on future tours. <sigh> If it's not Swan Lake, Nurcracker or Romeo and Juliet, Dublin doesn't want to know. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colman Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Having looked now, I can't tell: between a fort nights distance and the camera effects it's impossible. I don't think there was any significant revision. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnross Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 Matthew Bourne's Gothic version of Sleeping Beauty is back at the Sadlers Wells Theatre for the Christmas season. We were treated to a couple of extracts with two different casts. The Rose Adage from Act 2 and Aurora's Arrival from Act 4. Here are some pictures with both casts. Dominic North - Leo and Ashley Shaw - Aurora - Act 2 Rose Adage Chris Marney - Count Lilac and Ashley Shaw - Aurora in Act 4 Aurora's Arrival Cordelia Braithwaite - Aurora and Chris Trenfield - Leo - Act 2 Rose Adagio Cordelia Braithwaite - Aurora and Liam Mower - Count Lilac - Act 4 Aurora's Arrival More pictures on www.johnrossballetgallery.co.uk 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Foteini Christofilopoulou was also at the rehearsal at Sadlers Wells for Matthew Bourne's revival of 'Sleeping Beauty'Here are a couple of sample photos... Ashley Shaw (Aurora), Dominic North (Leo)© Foteini Christofilopoulou.Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Ashley Shaw (Aurora), Adam Maskell (Caradoc)© Foteini Christofilopoulou.Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr See more...Set from DanceTabs: Matthew Bourne's Sleeping BeautyCourtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewinelake Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 (edited) Saw it last night and loved it! Very different to the traditional and more of a crowd-pleaser. I find the score took some time to grow on me compared to the more obvious charms of Swan Lake and Nutcracker, so just as well we heard it so often for the EYB shows. I felt that Tchaikovsky would have approved, and didn't know that the painful-to-watch rose adage was a post-Petipa invention. Cordelia Braithwaite played the impish Aurora very nicely, but Count Lilac (Christopher Marney) was the star for me - very clever to blend the vampire myth. Other clever things - masks on the flash-forward of Aurora's "death". Of course the puppet baby was fun and well known. I can't quite understand how I managed to forget so much of it from the TV production.... Really looking forward to Red Shoes. Might be worth becoming a Friend to get priority booking. I think I'll be scaling back ROH attendance to do more S.W. as it's so nice to be able to see the faces of the dancers (and parking is easier!). Edited December 28, 2015 by thewinelake 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewinelake Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 By the way, I was just wondering how licensing works for this kind of thing. If (for example) an American company wanted to start performing this piece, could they ask Bourne/NewAdventures for permission, and then pay a royalty? If so, has anyone done it? This seems such a commercially attractive proposition to me, I'd expect it to have been done by now. Maybe that's just not how things work?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Scottish Ballet performed Matthew Bourne's Highland Fling a couple of years ago. It was, I believe, the first time a company other than his own had performed the work. I would guess it would depend on who owns the rights for the work and how contractual arrangements would be set up. I would assume it would be the same with any work by any living choreographer/producer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 Interesting comment from (Sir) Matthew Bourne from this week's Links: "We went to the theatre whenever we could even if it meant sitting in the gods. Those experiences have really influenced my work, as I want it to look good from wherever you sit. The cheap seats shouldn’t be an any worse experience than being in the front of the stalls." If only ... http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/meet-matthew-bourne-the-real-lord-of-the-dance-1-7665410 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 This is playing at Wimbledon this week, and when I looked fairly recently I noticed that there were quite a lot of seats still available, at least for some performances. Does anyone know if there have been any ticket offers? I could probably drag a friend to see it if there was a 2-for-1 going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanR Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 I saw this in Southampton last week.Well worth seeing.My friend & I loved it. Stand out performance was Adam Maskell as Carabosse/Caradoc.I couldn't take my eyes off him. The rest of the cast were brilliant too. Go see! Susan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 Bargain Theatre has some deals according to Sir MB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachelm Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 I saw this in Southampton last week.Well worth seeing.My friend & I loved it. Stand out performance was Adam Maskell as Carabosse/Caradoc.I couldn't take my eyes off him. The rest of the cast were brilliant too. Go see! Susan I saw this in Norwich a couple of weeks ago and thought it was fantastic- the designs were stunning. I totally agree about Adam Maskell- I said exactly the same to my friend, that I couldn't take my eyes off him. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 Alison/aileen - I posted the Bargain Theatre offer on the Special Ticket Offers board earlier today. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Reynolds Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 After the opening night performance of Sleeping Beauty at the Norwich Theatre Royal recently Matthew Bourne gave a Q and A session which was live streamed. This is available on YouTube (38 minutes):- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3WWEi1DxTU 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nottsballetlover Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 Saw Bourne's SB last weekend in Nottingham. For me it gets better with each viewing & glad I've booked one more in Sheffield. Sat right at front which made it possible to see every eyelid flicker! Stand out performer for me was Liam Mower as Carabosse/Caradoc. Utterly mesmerizing, superbly danced and acted. It's been wonderful to watch Liam grow as a performer and take on leading roles in Bourne's works over last few years. I first saw him as The Prince in Swan Lake and he was incredible. Then he took on Ed Scissorhands equally brilliantly. He has always melted my heart in thise roles but with Carabosse, he did mean & terrifying extremely well too!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 Stand out performer for me was Liam Mower as Carabosse/Caradoc. Utterly mesmerizing, superbly danced and acted. It's been wonderful to watch Liam grow as a performer and take on leading roles in Bourne's works over last few years. I first saw him as The Prince in Swan Lake and he was incredible. Then he took on Ed Scissorhands equally brilliantly. He has always melted my heart in thise roles but with Carabosse, he did mean & terrifying extremely well too!! A long way for Liam Mower from his Billy Eliot and nice to hear. His Don Jose character in The Car Man (can't remember the new name) was very special too. Whenever I see him dance, I rejoice that he is on stage but cannot help wondering what would have happened had he stayed at the Royal Ballet School. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 That reminds me, after going to see it at Wimbledon last month I meant to ask: there have been rather a lot of changes, haven't there? Or that was how it seemed to me, anyway. Seemingly for the better, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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