Sleeping Beauty at Norwich Theatre Royal

On the evening of Monday 17th February 2014 I attended The Russian State Ballet and Orchestra of Siberia's performance of Sleeping Beauty at Norwich Theatre Royal. This is the classic story of love and innocence, mystery and magic set to Tchaikovsky's sublime score.

A wicked fairy places a fatal curse on the baby Princess Aurora, which the good Lilac Fairy softens to a sleep of one hundred years. Only a prince’s kiss can break the spell. This is every child's favourite fairy tale which The Russian State Ballet of Siberia brought magically to life on the stage at Norwich Theatre Royal.

This was a night full of stunning choreography, sumptuous costumes and wonderful sets that formed the fantasy world in which the Lilac Fairy struggles against the evil Carabosse. The sell out audience had a brilliant evening full of fairy tale magic and the sounds of Tchaikovsky. It was fantastic to see such an amazing Ballet in my home city of Norwich.

Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty Magic!

Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty arrived at Norwich Theatre Royal in November as New Adventures' 25th Anniversary celebrations in 2012 culminated in the world premiere of Matthew Bourne's latest re-imagining of an iconic and beloved ballet classic. Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty sees the choreographer return to the music of Tchaikovsky to complete the trio of the composer's ballet masterworks.

I attended the matinee performance on Saturday 24th November 2012 as Matthew Bourne's gothic fairy tale brought the magic of Tchaikovsky to Norwich Theatre Royal. Perrault's timeless fairy tale about a young girl cursed to sleep for one hundred years, was turned into a ballet by Marius Petipa in 1890. Matthew Bourne takes this as his starting point, setting the christening of Aurora in the year of the ballet's first performance. This was a period when fairies, vampires and decadent opulence fed the gothic imagination.

As Aurora grows into a young woman we move forward to a mythical golden age of long summer afternoons, cricket and new dance crazes. Years later, awakening from her century long slumber, Aurora finds herself in the modern day. This haunting new scenario creates a supernatural love story across the decades, that even the passage of time itself cannot hinder.

This was a magical afternoon at Norwich Theatre Royal as once again Matthew Bourne has done something different and unique to a traditional classic ballet. There was lots of fun in this tale of good versus evil as Sleeping Beauty was turned into a gothic tales for all ages.

The Sleeping Beauty at The Royal Opera House

I made my way on an early morning train to London on Saturday 17th December 2011 eagerly looking forward to my visit to The Royal Opera House. It was a 12 noon start for the matinee performance of The Sleeping Beauty by The Royal Ballet so as soon as I arrived at Liverpool Street I made my way to Covent Garden.

The Sleeping Beauty was first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg in 1890.This was the ballet where Marius Petipa and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky expressed their genius to perfection. Today it is a cornerstone of The Royal Ballet's repertory. It was an afternoon to be taken to a world of fairytales full of splendour and colour with wonderful dancing.

King Florestan XXIV and his Queen have invited all the fairies to be godmothers at the christening of Princess Aurora. In her anger at not being invited Carabosse the Wicked Fairy gives Aurora a spindle saying that one day the Princess will prick her finger and die. The Lilac Fairy promises that Aurora will not die but fall into a deep sleep and will be woken by a prince's kiss.

At Princess Aurora's 16th birthday four princes vie for her hand in marriage. As Aurora dances she is given a spindle by an old woman which she pricks her finger with and falls into a dead faint. The old women reveals herself as Carabosse. The Lilac Fairy appears to fulfil her promise and casts a spell of sleep over everyone causing a thick forest to grow over the palace.

One hundred years later Prince Florimund is hunting in the forest when the Lilac Fairy appears and shows him a vision of Princess Aurora. Outside the palace gates the Lilac Fairy repells Carabosse and at last Prince Florimund awakens Princess Aurora with a kiss. Fairytale characters come to the wedding of Prince Florimund and Princess Aurora. They all join in the celebrations and the Lilac Fairy blesses the marriage.

This was a magical afternoon to be at the Royal Opera House. It was an amazing experience to see The Royal Ballet perform live especially as The Sleeping Beauty is such a wonderful story and spectacle to watch. Tchaikovsky's music was performed brilliantly by the Orchestra of The Royal Opera House. A special mention needs to go out to Marianela Nunez who danced the role of Princess Aurora splendidly and completely delighted the audience. The Royal Ballet brought amazing movement and colour to this enchanting fairytale.