Beautiful Sleeping Beauty

Yu Kurihara as Princess Aurora and Lachlan Monaghan as Prince Florimund, photo credit Tristram Kenton

Sir Peter Wright's The Sleeping Beauty, music by Tchaikovsky, at The Birmingham Hippodrome from Wednesday 21 February to Saturday 2 March.

Review by Ann Cee.

Sleeping Beauty at the Birmingham Hippodrome launched last night as a delightful, foot perfect, harmonious, traditional ballet.  Choreographed by a wonderful team of three (Petipa, Ivanov, Wright), we were treated to an august Russian score and a spritely Russian style of dance in a burnished set with magnificent chandeliers and drapes.  The formal attire and courtly mannerisms swept us up into a fairytale world of kings, queens, fairies, cavaliers and attendants.  I must say it was wonderful escapism for a winter evening in February.

Daria Stanciulescu as Fairy Carabosse, Jonathan Payne as King Florestan XXI, credit Tristram Kenton.

The ballet wound its way through many solo opportunities for the large cast of dancers and special recognition should be made for the principals Yu Kurihara (Princess Aurora) and Lachlan Monaghan (Prince Floribund).  But there were many more magnificently light fairies, nymphs, heralds and courtiers.  Some of my favourite moments came with the appearances of Puss in Boots and the White Cat (Gus Payne, Isabella Howard), as well as Red Riding Hood and the Wolf (Tessa Hogge, Gabriel Anderson).  

Eilis Small as The Lilac Fairy and Yu Kurihara as Princess Aurora, credit Tristram Kenton.

The Royal Ballet Sinfonia (Conductor Philip Ellis and Leader Robert Gibbs) were in superb fettle with a wonderful sound, especially from the delicious clarinets and cellos.

A wonderful sweeping dream of an evening.  

Tickets for The Sleeping Beauty at Birmingham Hippodrome are available at www.birminghamhippodrome.com

Also for Sleeping Beauty Dreams on Sunday 25 February.