From the opening dramatic, crashing chords, expect the unexpected. Chilling, thrilling, shocking and darkly disturbing this is a glorious reworking by Matthew Bourne of the Perrault fairy tale.
This is the third of the big three Tchaikovsky ballets Bourne has choreographed (‘ Swan Lake ‘in 1995 ,’Nutcracker’ in 1992 ) so here you can pick snippets of tiny phrases from his ‘Swan Lake ‘ ( especially for example in the big waltzes ) and also his ‘Highland Fling’ and ‘Town and Country’ .
The production is currently touring America. It has lavish, sumptuous sets and costumes courtesy of Les Brotherston and features the luxury of Bourne’s magnificent , sometimes fiendishly demanding choreography (especially difficult in some of the lifts and catches of the pas de deux).
The opening is set in 1890, when the Petipa version was first produced for the Russian court. We’re given a brief summary of the back story: a desperate childless royal couple have been given a baby by Carabosse, but they have neglected to show their gratitude. (Most unwise!.) In the 1911 section , Aurora’s 21st birthday , are we meant to pick up references to Nijinsky’s ‘ Afternoon of a Faun’ and ‘Jeux ‘ in the choreography?!
The basic plot structure of the traditional fairy tale is kept, with a major battle between good and evil .The scenic transformations and the Romantic use of the full moon are spectacular and breathtaking. The fairy solos (here they are called Ardor, Hibernia, Autumnus , Feral and Tantrum and are in tattered 18th century style costumes ) are all reworked by Bourne , but with tiny references to the original Petipa.
In this version , to the ‘white cat’ music, Leo is uneasily trapped as a ‘guest’ at the vampire wedding at a strange nightclub. I liked the nifty updating to ‘now’ (well, 2011) with the tourists taking photos at the gates covered in roses, holding their mobile phones.
In this version the Lilac Fairy becomes dazzling Count Lilac, strongly and superbly danced by Christopher Marney with spellbinding technique and elevation, and strange, dark eyes.
Carabosse and her son who continues the curse, Caradoc, were brilliantly danced by Adam Maskell. As Carabosse he is evilly proud and commanding, dramatic in red and black (and note the black swan like costumes for her minions.) As Caradoc, he is mesmerizing and hypnotic and yet simultaneously sinister and enthralling. His dance at the party with Aurora where he hypnotises, manipulates and seeks to control her is chilling, and there is a strange dance with the sleeping Aurora when he is sitting for hours brooding, watching over her.
Leo the gardener, our hero, was magnificently performed by Dominic North. He sacrifices his life for love at the end of Act 1 to (spoiler alert!) Count Lilac to become a vampire to survive Aurora’s century of sleep. But all ends happily – or does it?!
Here the King in 1890 / 1911 is presented to look like the Tsar Nicholas or his cousin King George V and the Queen to be like Queen Mary or the Tsarina Alexandra ( and hints of the mother in Graeme Murphy’s ‘After Venice’ ).
Aurora herself is first seen as a wayward, willful, tiny baby, who has a mind of her own. ( A wonderful puppet , that crawls along the floor and even climbs the curtains , scandalizing the harried governess Miss Maddox and the other servants).Then she blossoms and becomes the magnificent Hannah Vassallo . The ‘Rose Adagio’ becomes an ecstatic, swooning, swooping love pas deux for her and Leo with death defying leaps and catches. Do we see hints of Macmillan’s ‘Anastasia’ in the business with the boots in Act 1? Her hypnotised zombie like marriage to Caradoc is chilling and develops into a ritual sacrifice until she is rescued in the nick of time by Count Lilac and the now supernaturally gifted Leo (phew).
It is also an allegory of sight and touch – both Leo and Aurora are blindfolded at certain points. And there is the dangerous prick of the poisoned dark rose thorn. And observe how tenderly in one of the pas de deux Aurora nuzzles Leo’s wings.
This is was a dark, lush , lavish production that is both sinister and enchanting, – a thrilling , glorious reworking of this tale.
Matthew Bourne’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ screens at selected cinemas 7- 15 Sept 2013. Running time 105 mins (approx) no interval