Matthew Bourne's " Sleeping beauty" on tour 2022-23

[Estreiiita]

Watching " Mayerling" wasn't the only aim for my visit to England. I adore Matthew Bourne's works since I saw " The car man" in Sadler's Wells theater and try to see them whenever it's possible. Actually I was surprised not finding any reviews her of his last creation " The midnight bell" which I was lucky to see in Brighton last year.

  Well, however, seeing that his company would perform " The Sleeping Beauty" in Plymouth precisely during the days I'm in Britain, I didn't hesitate to buy the tickets. And only afterwards I looked at the map to see where exactly is Plymouth located.

Well, I found out that my knowledge of geography has faded substantially since I'd finished the school, but done is done and the only thing we could do was to find the less expensive bus/train tickets from London to go to this beautiful coastal city worth of visiting even without Matthew Bourne's company.

   Well, we weren't dissapointed. Matthew Bourne combines the classical dance with modern movements and interesting twists of the plot like no one else. We were lucky to have Ashley Shaw as princess Aurora, Andrew Monaghan as Leo, the royal gamekeeper, Paris Fitzpatrick as Carabosse and Caradoc, and Dominic North as Count Lilac, the king of the fairies, and they and the rest of the dancers indeed made the evening unforgettable. Even though I got somewhat confused about the vampire/Dracula scenes in the performance, but I suppose, that's why it's called "A Gothic romance".

  It was the first performance of the 2022 remount but it didn't look like one, everybody was acting and dancing with a great precision and joy, so easily, and effortlessly, that we couldn't but enjoy every moment of this wonderful evening!

  I caught myself on  the thought that the next time I probably won't bother again to look where is the town the New Adventures perform - I'll surely just buy the tickets again first!

[Jan McNulty]

I was lucky to catch the Wednesday evening performance at The Lowry this week, seeing the same cast that Estreiiita outlined above.

 

I always think that Matthew Bourne has a sure touch for mounting accessible productions and Sleeping Beauty is a fine example.  Obviously he puts his own slant on the scenario. A baby is found by the childless King and Queen and is taken in by them.  Act 1 is all about celebrating the baby (a fantastic puppet baby that definitely has a life of its own) and the fairies come bearing gifts.  So far so conventional.  I love the fairy variations with their nods to the Petipa choreography.  Of course, Carabosse spoils the party and says that the thorn of a black rose will kill Aurora.  Count Lilac says that she will fall asleep.

 

Act 2 features the coming of age of Aurora and a party is being held for her.  Carabosse is long gone and her son Caradoc blames the Royal Family for her demise.  Aurora is in love with the gamekeeper, Leo, and they have a most lovely duet to the familiar rose adagio music.  He presents Aurora with roses and she finds the black rose which pricks her finger and she falls asleep.

 

I think that the vampire bit is to enable the gamekeeper to still be alive 100 years later to wake Aurora up from her sleep.  I love his Act 3 search through the forest to find her, being guided by Count Lilac.  Caradoc wants her to be his own and when she starts to awaken he shoves Leo out of the way so that he is the first person Aurora sees.  Of course his ploy does not work and Caradoc is defeated.

 

Leo and Aurora marry and have a baby ... a full circle and the end.

 

Ashley Shaw was just sublime as Aurora and the whole cast matched her in passion and performance.  Of course, this being me, I have to say that Dominic North (a longtime favourite of mine) was outstanding as Lilac.

 

The performance was deservedly received ecstatically by a near sold-out audience at The Lowry.

 

I know the production is touring extensively in the New Year and I am hoping to see it again in Liverpool and/or elsewhere.

 

 

(Just a point - if you buy a programme be aware that the paper has an aroma that is musty.  I thought my living room had developed a damp problem till I realised it was the programme!)

 

 

[Emeralds]

 

21 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

I was lucky to catch the Wednesday evening performance at The Lowry this week, seeing the same cast that Estreiiita outlined above.

 

I always think that Matthew Bourne has a sure touch for mounting accessible productions and Sleeping Beauty is a fine example.  Obviously he puts his own slant on the scenario. A baby is found by the childless King and Queen and is taken in by them.  Act 1 is all about celebrating the baby (a fantastic puppet baby that definitely has a life of its own) and the fairies come bearing gifts.  So far so conventional.  I love the fairy variations with their nods to the Petipa choreography.  Of course, Carabosse spoils the party and says that the thorn of a black rose will kill Aurora.  Count Lilac says that she will fall asleep.

 

Act 2 features the coming of age of Aurora and a party is being held for her.  Carabosse is long gone and her son Caradoc blames the Royal Family for her demise.  Aurora is in love with the gamekeeper, Leo, and they have a most lovely duet to the familiar rose adagio music.  He presents Aurora with roses and she finds the black rose which pricks her finger and she falls asleep.

 

I think that the vampire bit is to enable the gamekeeper to still be alive 100 years later to wake Aurora up from her sleep.  I love his Act 3 search through the forest to find her, being guided by Count Lilac.  Caradoc wants her to be his own and when she starts to awaken he shoves Leo out of the way so that he is the first person Aurora sees.  Of course his ploy does not work and Caradoc is defeated.

 

Leo and Aurora marry and have a baby ... a full circle and the end.

 

Ashley Shaw was just sublime as Aurora and the whole cast matched her in passion and performance.  Of course, this being me, I have to say that Dominic North (a longtime favourite of mine) was outstanding as Lilac.

 

The performance was deservedly received ecstatically by a near sold-out audience at The Lowry.

 

I know the production is touring extensively in the New Year and I am hoping to see it again in Liverpool and/or elsewhere.

 

 

(Just a point - if you buy a programme be aware that the paper has an aroma that is musty.  I thought my living room had developed a damp problem till I realised it was the programme!)

 

 

Am laughing about the programme aroma. Is it supposed to smell like the story- one hundred years old?

[jmhopton]

Not on tour as such but I couldn't find a closer Matthew Bourne match. Apparently this Sleeping Beauty is being shown at the cinema Wed 28th June and Sunday July 2nd as part of the ballets 10th anniversary celebrations.