Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty

"Sleeping Beauty" is full of lots of Bourneisms - if you enjoyed Edward then you'll enjoy this one. I think the only one I didn't enjoy was "Cinderella", I think the music wasn't strong enough to support the action but when he's back to Tchaikovsky then it's a winner!

Just to be slightly pedantic, Matthew Bourne pieces aren't ballet, more modern dance theatre - and he is very good at that. I really enjoyed Sleeping Beauty when I first saw it, though watching it a second time shortly after having just watched the ballet a few times it didn't hold up well for me. Mainly because of expectations to see spectacular dancing to some musical sequences that are used differently in the Bourne version. If you expect to see someone dancing their heart out to certain passages, and instead they are just lounging around in a nightclub, it does feel like something is missing, so I can understand why Jelly Bean's friend isn't that keen on Bourne's Beauty.

I don't think anyone can beat Bourne's showmanship when it comes to dance, and Sleeping Beauty is no exception. Though it would be a bonus if he could lay off his cheesy nightclub scenes (can't remember whether there is one in Edward Scissorhands, but he certainly has them in Car Men, Beauty and Swanlake).

Well I went to see it last night and I wasn't disappointed at all. I really enjoyed it, maybe not as much as Edward Scissorhands (but that might just be because I like that film so much). Adam Maskell was great as Carabosse and Caradoc and also Liam Mower really stood out as Count Lilac. Ashley Shaw and Dominic North were on as Aurora and Leo and they were both brilliant too, as were the company as a whole. I think you'll like it Kirsty

It's baaaaaack! At Saddlers Wells through 15 January. Royal Ballet's OTT Beauty designed by Maria Bjørnson was my all time favourite (and I've seen them all), but this is a lot of fun, if non-traditional.

Yes definitely recommend a return or even first visit to this, stands up well and possibly worked better for me this second viewing.

At the Hippodrome it had a solid week of bookings, on the first night it has to be said the audience was by far chiefly female, of all ages but different to previous adventure shows where it's normally quite a standard theatre mix.

Cast were great and the dancing sharp and inventive as ever and there are moments allowed for all dancers to have a few moments in the spotlight.

Was slightly disappointed that the night I went new adventures legend Dominic North was not playing as while they seem to run two or three cast groups over the week normally he pops up on the first night but all the cast were living up to his expressive and flowing dance standard.

They did do a q&a after and it came up there are seven of the baby puppets they use in various forms in the show.
Despite the various demons, vampires, wicked fairies and evil queen in the show the meant to be cute baby puppet is still the creepiest thing in the show, seeing a stack of seven of them backstage is the image of nightmares.

I absolutely loved the show this week in Newcastle- probably my favourite Matthew Bourne show after Swan Lake. The wonderful Dominic North was on as Count Lilac on my first visit then King Benedict (and other parts) on the second visit. The whole cast were brilliant, a special mention to Jackson Fisch as Carabosse/ Caradoc who had great stage presence. Hoping to see him in future shows.

Anyone in the region thinking about it should definitely grab a last minute ticket for tonight or tomorrow before it finishes.

To be shown on BBC over Christmas (date/time TBC).