Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay
Tues 5 Mar
words: CHARLOTTE BEER
★★★★★
At some point in our lives the majority of us will have been subjected to the whimsical tale of Sleeping Beauty; the beautiful and ethereal girl cursed to sleep for 100 years while her handsome prince waits patiently for her waking. While the sugar and spice and all things nice approach is all very well, acclaimed director and choreographer Matthew Bourne has taken the story of old, and swathed it in mystery and gothic glamour with an ornate bow of feathers and glitter added for good measure, care of Lez Brotherstone’s sumptuous costume and set design. There is little wonder that Bourne’s production company has reached the 25-year anniversary milestone this year.
We start our journey, soundtracked by the strains of Tchaikovsky’s famed score, in the Victorian era with the infant Aurora, a puppet with all the heart of a living, breathing toddler, teasing her nanny and parents with a child-like innocence. It doesn’t take Bourne long to fill the stage with flamboyantly attired fairies, Aurora’s protectors during the long nights in the castle she calls home. They weave around her crib, tantalising her with their feathered costumes and spirited dances. It is no wonder that as the young Aurora grows into her teenage body she is full of boundless energy, with just a hint of precocious teenager syndrome thrown in for good measure. It is here, on her 16th birthday, that she falls for the gamekeeper Leo. Her journey here on in promises to be filled with dark forests, tea parties and a finale that promises to lift even the most dormant of hearts.
The story moves on with Cardoc, son of the now deceased sorceress Carabosse, who is seeking revenge on his mother’s behalf, desperate to fulfil her wishes to curse the sprightly Aurora to a century of sleep. True to the story of old, he succeeds and the teenager falls into a deep sleep, leaving her beloved gamekeeper with the prospect of being left without his sweetheart. After climatic duels and an immortal lover now awaiting the awakening of his Princess, we are left with racing hearts as we await a conclusion to the story. The final act finds the audience in the present day, having hurtled from the Victorian era to a time where hoody-clad teenagers lurk in dark alleys. Aurora and Leo are flirting with the idea of a lasting romance, much to the joy of their onlookers. The closing scene takes places in a nightclub that would make Peter Stringfellow blush, both seedy and seductive in equal parts.
Matthew Bourne has reinvented the classic ballet recipe with a gothic and spectacular drama, while all the way letting good triumph over evil. While the essence of a timeless love story has been lost amongst the pomp and splendour, Sleeping Beauty has never looked so awake and modern.