Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty: A Gothic Romance
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No chance of forty winks here. Gone is the passive and dormant slumbering Princess — instead she zings with zest, life and energy. Matthew Bourne has done it again! And it works on a regional tour too. We firstly encounter Aurora as a magicked baby Princess. She’s portrayed as a puppet — and rather than a baby slumbering in a cradle, she is full on, exhausting her attendants, dodging them, racing around at a crawl and comically clambering up curtains. Eventually the capering baby is captured and restrained in her cradle. Only for faeries to appear and give her gifts. Bolt upright, Aurora is awake and ready to dance along, and be mesmerised by the dances. Given that she is a puppet, she’s incredibly reactive and enchanting. Carabosse appears with crashes of thunder and lightening (which are indeed very, very frightening) threatening death and doom — portrayed wondrously through ‘faceless’ dancers. Only the Lilac Faery has a plan and will send the Princess to sleep, to be woken by her true love — maddening Team Carabosse.
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty: A Gothic Romance
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty: A Gothic…
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty: A Gothic Romance
No chance of forty winks here. Gone is the passive and dormant slumbering Princess — instead she zings with zest, life and energy. Matthew Bourne has done it again! And it works on a regional tour too. We firstly encounter Aurora as a magicked baby Princess. She’s portrayed as a puppet — and rather than a baby slumbering in a cradle, she is full on, exhausting her attendants, dodging them, racing around at a crawl and comically clambering up curtains. Eventually the capering baby is captured and restrained in her cradle. Only for faeries to appear and give her gifts. Bolt upright, Aurora is awake and ready to dance along, and be mesmerised by the dances. Given that she is a puppet, she’s incredibly reactive and enchanting. Carabosse appears with crashes of thunder and lightening (which are indeed very, very frightening) threatening death and doom — portrayed wondrously through ‘faceless’ dancers. Only the Lilac Faery has a plan and will send the Princess to sleep, to be woken by her true love — maddening Team Carabosse.