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Review of Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty at Milton Keynes Theatre

Matthew Bourne over the years has become perhaps the most recognisable name in ballet in the UK and despite ballet feeling at times for the elite, Bourne has managed to make ballet more for the masses than any other director out there. His innovation in storytelling and attention to detail brings his work a great style and flair to proceedings. This time around, this tour is revisiting an earlier work from 2012, Sleeping Beauty, and fresh from opening at Plymouth and then an eight-week run at Sadler's Wells, the tour for 2023 begins at Milton Keynes Theatre. So, the question is, is it something worth staying awake for?

Well, Sleeping Beauty is, put simply, a delight in nearly every respect. As is characteristic of Bourne's work, this is effortlessly accessible ballet and to some extent, contemporary dance. Where some pieces can get confusing in the storytelling, especially if it is a less familiar story, Bourne has a way of making you know exactly what is going on. Most people are familiar with Sleeping Beauty of course, so, that, on this occasion helps, as does the occasional projections moving the story forward.


What also helps is just how spectacularly this show initially grips the audience, and not with dance as you might expect. That comes later. However, first, we have a perfect interpretation of baby Aurora in the form of one of the best puppets I have seen in a while. This baby, in the hands of the puppeteers, from the company, has class, style, and moves. It is funny how something so simple could work so well, but this puppet alongside the members of the house pursuing the mischievous little baby through dance is oddly one of the best parts of the show. Sophia Hurdley as Miss Maddox, Aurora's Nanny is particularly impressive throughout this scene. It is comic class, and so, so unexpected.

Humour is the gentle driving force hidden in the very dark interpretation of this story, be it a palace staff member kicking the graphophone at a garden party, or a hoodie-bedecked group crowding around for a selfie. Here, Bourne has already made the already dark tale of Sleeping Beauty a darker shade of black, turning the story into a gothic world of vampires and love through time.

The dancing, to be swift and easy on your time to read, is sublime. Those with a deeper knowledge of this as a reviewer would no doubt strive to comment on the sharpness and the specific moves. However, here, my knowledge doesn't lie. What I see, however, and judge here, is how special this piece of theatre is, full of energy and emotion.

Tchaikovsky's music is a constant presence as the story moves forward and the whole thing lives on Lez Brotherston's truly stunning set, and that along with his dazzling costumes creates a thing of beauty on the eye in itself. Paule Constable also lights the stage with a delightfully eerie air of mystery, truly gothic this is.

The company is magnificent and it feels churlish to single any out, however, having already done that with Hurdley, let us add how beautiful a performance Ashley Shaw provides as Princess Aurora. She has a believable relationship also with Stephen Murray's Leo. The scene of his hiding in her bed-chamber from the palace staff is a particularly lovely moment, full of humour and detail. I also liked Andrew Monaghan's prim and proper King Benedict. A little aloof, but with a lovely caring presence for his daughter. Finally, there is amazing strength and presence provided by Enrique Ngbokota in his role of Autumnus, one of the fairies. All of the fairies are brilliant in their own way, and it is excellent how they each get their own individual moment in the spotlight.

There might be a few minor quibbles, sometimes a few scenes feel overlong, and occasionally the story can take a weird leap and you have to catch up with the tale. Also, the very curious sequence of Leo "running" to the reception feels too comical and odd and feels it should not have made the cut as it seems out of keeping with the cleverness of the rest of the show.

However, these quibbles do not take away how truly amazing this show is. Full of delightful performances full of character, stunning dancing to a wondrous stage backdrop. If you only ever see one ballet, you wouldn't go far wrong by choosing a Bourne production and in Sleeping Beauty, he and his team are at the top of their game.

A sublime and spectacular masterpiece that is a true feast for the eyes.

Performance reviewed: Tuesday 17th January 2023 at the Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes.

Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty runs at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 21st January 2023.

For further details about Milton Keynes see their website at http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre/

Production photos: Johan Persson


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