Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty At The Birmingham Hippodrome Review

Reviewed by Katy Nettleton

Phenomenal, that is the only word that I can think of that fully describes this show.

This show was my first foray into Ballet, but certainly won’t be last. In all honesty I have never felt the heat, the cold, the emotions purely by music and dance from a show before. I could not take my eyes off the stage and dances. The way in which the story unfolded, and the gothic edge (with vampires no less) did not distract from this poignant love story, one that normally I would see with a Dame in the Theatre. Although there were “oohs and ahhs” when the cutest, baby arrived on stage in the form of a realistic puppet. The way in which the puppeteers blended into the set, and moved the baby between dances and scenes was stagecraft at its finest.

The dances weaved effortlessly between scenes as the story unfolded which was moving and heartwarming at the same time of creating the energy for the climatical scenes and ending (which was a lovely touch!).

The story stuck quite closely to the original Fairy Tale, which is often a household favourite, but with added energy and vigor brought the show to life and made the ballet relatable. You could truly appreciate the art, one that I have not experienced before. The way in which the Fairy Tale was fed through the scenes, the use of traditional “curtains” and modern approaches brought the show to the modern day.

I honestly cannot praise the music, choreography and artistic interpretation and story adaptations enough. This for me, was the first steppingstone into the Ballet, and has encouraged me to go and watch more, specifically The Nutcracker and Swan Lake – seasoned Ballet goers may contradict me, but for me this was the perfect entry to a new genre, and enabled my 13 year old daughter to appreciate the pure art of dancing.

The ballet incorporated modern techniques and contemporary approaches (but again I am no expert on this!) but the way in which the strong dances brought their story to life with body language and facial expressions created an immersive experience for me alongside a strong music catalogue played by the orchestra.

I could not write a review without stating that the dancers were formidable, they moved gracefully throughout the show, all having a role, and completing them professionally to create a flawless performance. Princess Aurora performed by Ashely Shaw was mesmerizing, and just portrayed purity and innocence and her relationship with The Royal Gamekeeper, Leo (performed by Andrew Monoghan) became alive during the performance, and you felt they were observing on something magical, of once in a lifetime feeling of love. A special mention should go to that infamous Carabosse, the Dark Fairy, performed by Ben Brown who truly sent goose bump up my back with the way he danced, moved, and looked at the performers and audience. He was captivating.

The music, dancing, staging, and acting was enchanting, fully reflective of the Fairy Tale, Sleeping Beauty.

For me this is a 5 out of 5 star rating, and a show for everyone.

Ticekts start at £44, and are truly worth it. The staging, the performances and music make this show a must to see.

The show is running from 8th February to 11th February at Birmingham Hippodrome, and tickets can be purchased here or call the box office on 0844 338 5000

Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre, Hurst Street, Southside, Birmingham, B5 4TB