The Sleeping Beauty by English National Ballet Review

28/02/2013

1,416 4 minutes read

The Sleeping Beauty
By The English National Ballet
Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

26 February – 2 March 2013

Reviewed by Nicola Mccallum

Growing up dancing was a big part of my life and throughout the years I have seen many different ballets performed by various different dance companies. Since having my children I have yet to make an appearance at any theatre so when the opportunity arose to see The Sleeping Beauty I once again became an excitable teenager. Since I know the ballet itself inside out I thought it would only be fair to bring along a complete ballet newcomer to see how she would find the experience.

The Mayflower theatre has no designated car parking but upon checking out the surrounding area I saw there were a variety of car parks in the vicinity all of which were well signposted. Once the car was parked we were a little unsure of how to get to the theatre itself on foot and with no signposts we simply followed a small gathering of people who I can only describe as people who looked like they were dressed to go to the theatre and in no time at all we had arrived.

Our first impression of the theatre itself was extremely pleasing. It was easy to locate key areas and every member of staff was friendly, smartly dressed and pleased to assist with any requests. With some time to spare before the start of the performance we headed to the bar to have a quick drink. With a glass of reasonably priced wine each we sat down to have a quick look through the programme and once again I was suitably impressed. The programme was a glossy brochure with beautiful pictures with just the right amount of additional information such as history behind key characters, snippets of information about each dancer in the company and an article about understanding the language of mime. This alone was excellent value for money for £5 and a lovely keepsake. Before we knew it the performance bell sounded for us to make our way towards our seats and with our wine still half full the bar staff, without us asking, transferred our drinks into plastic containers so we were able to take our drinks through with us.

Once in our seats we had a few minutes to take in the beauty of the Mayflower theatre. It set the mood wonderfully for the performance and while it was modern it managed to maintain the elegance of a traditional theatre.

From the moment the curtain rose and before the first steps were danced I was blown away by the costumes on display. The regal costumes of the cast were full of detail and workmanship and then when the fairy godmothers arrived I was speechless. It was everything you can imagine and transported me back to my childhood and all my fairy tale dreams. Once again I was a 5 year old child wishing that I could put on a tutu and dance on the stage. As I watched fully captivated by the story I marvelled at the fabulous dancers and the intricate chorography and it only seemed that 5 minutes had passed when the curtain came down for the first interval.

As we proceed to the bar, yet again, I was keen to find out how my friend was enjoying her experience and I was relieved to find that the magic of the evening was rubbing of on everyone. Although she was familiar with the story of the Sleeping Beauty, albeit the once portrayed by Disney she was glad she had had a quick read of the programme prior to the start as it explained the story and she was able to understand it. Although she doesn’t know the difference between an entrechant and a pas de bourrée she appreciated the beauty was created on the stage. The highlight from the first act we agreed on was the beautiful dancing of the Lilac Fairy danced on the evening by Laurretta Summerscales.

The rest of the evening continued in the same fashion, beautiful dancing, stunning costumes and fabulous chorography. Even though the solos throughout displayed some beautiful dancing it was the group dances that stole the show, in particular the Garland Waltz. It was simply breath taking and even though I have seen The Sleeping Beauty several times and the Garland Waltz is one of my favourite scenes, it will be chorography of Kenneth MacMillian that will stay in my head. A mention also has to go to Fernanda Oliveira for her portrayal of the Princess Aurora along with Crystal Costa and Nathan Young as the Bluebird and Princess Florine.

As the final curtain dropped and the orchestra had played their last piece I was a little saddened that it was over. As we walked back to the car I was giddy with joy and a little sad that it was over. My friend has been converted and not only would she come to another ballet but it is also something she would like to share with her young daughters. With tickets priced from £10 to £45 it is an experience that can be shared by all and with two matinee performances it is definitely an experience that can be enjoyed by children too.

The English National Ballet has created a performance that they can be proud of and that will remain in the minds of many audience members if not all. A thoroughly enjoyable experience which I would repeat in an instant coupled with a beautiful venue. Without a doubt I would give the evening.

Rating: 5/5