So I knew I was going to love Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty, I mean what’s not to love; gothic, fairytale romance, with the brilliance of Bourne’s choreography? Even so, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it quite this much. It was a stunning production and it totally blew me away.
I found the sleepwalking bit dragged a little, but other than that it was all killer, no filler. I don’t know how he does it, but somehow the New Adventures productions, the ones that have a proper story anyway, always seem to be telling that story. Every movement seems choreographed to depict a thousand words and even the sections that are more dance for dance’s sake than to develop the plot still seem to have something to say. Aside from the fact it stops me from getting bored, it means I stay thoroughly involved with the characters and connect with them more.
FYI: There are a few minor spoilers in this post, but none that I thought were major enough to warrant whiting out.
The pas de deux between Aurora and her man (who incidentally is NOT Prince Charming, yet somehow that seems to add to the story rather than take away from it – though I’ll admit that more than once I found myself making comparisons with Amy Pond and her centurion!) during the second act was perfect, combining young love with sensuality and something deeper. Add a vampire fairy to the tale and you’d think it would descend into the ridiculous, yet somehow it worked. It played on the darker themes, explained how time could pass the way it did and gave such a well-known story an unexpected twist.
I loved the timing, moving from the Georgian era through to the modern day, placing the tale in reality in a way that would have seemed rather ridiculous at the start, with fairies and magic so tightly interwoven with the whole story. I also loved the way Caradoc tricks Leo into waking Aurora only to steal her for himself.
The staging was gorgeous, mixing aspects of fairytale splendour with the every day (Leo’s pop-up tent outside the enormous ivy covered gates of the sleeping princess’s palace, for example!) and the more magical elements were really beautiful, a huge moon projected on the back wall, dozens of tree trunks lit by candle and star light… It created the perfect atmosphere. The puppet baby was brilliant too, slightly humorous, a little weird and oddly lifelike all at the same time. The costumes were simple, yet striking. The simplicity of cream for the ensemble offset by the pure white of Aurora’s dress and the boldly contrasting black of Caradoc’s hair and clothing beneath his own long white coat. Then there were the muted autumnal hues of the fairies outfits, which gave the impression that perhaps they had once been bright colours but the edge of darkness about them had dulled them over time. The deep reds and blacks of Caradoc’s band in the final act provided another contrast, with some of the only really vibrant colour throughout the whole show.
I had a decent seat, row H of the 2nd circle at Sadler’s Wells and reasonably central, but it did feel very far away. I’d have loved to be able to see the expressions on their faces and I must admit I’m rather tempted to try and see it again from a better seat. I know it must be closing soon, but it’s heading out on tour and Wimbledon is definitely on the list, so I could potentially catch it there… Will have to give it some thought.
Anyhoo, the company were spellbinding as always. I saw Christopher Marney yet again (I swear he’s been in, like, every NA production that I’ve seen!), only this time he was rather darker than I’m used to seeing him. He was brilliant as Count Lilac, the head of the fairies and seemed to emanate power. He also trod the very fine line between good and evil, managing to stay on the side of ‘good’ without losing the darker aspects of the character. On the opposite side of that line was Ben Bunce who played Carabosse as well as her son, Caradoc. I loved his Caradoc; his dark, dominant sensuality when he first appears, seducing Aurora and dazzling her with his black rose (he recalled Dracula pursuing Mina, the Stranger in MB’s Swan Lake stalking the ballroom or Dorian Gray after his awakening – and somewhat weirdly, Eddie from Loserville – perhaps it was the arrogance, although Caradoc’s was somewhat more reigned in!) to his unexpected vulnerability as he danced with Aurora’s limp, all but lifeless, sleeping body.
Speaking of Aurora, she was played by the wonderful Hannah Vassallo opposite Dominic North as Leo. I’ve seen her a few times and I think she plays innocent, with a hint of blooming sensuality beautifully. She’s playful and flirty, but with a childish naivety over the effect she has on the men around her. When confronted with Leo, the boy she loves, she is only just beginning to discover the woman she is growing into and Carabosse’s curse cuts short their romance before it can develop fully. It gives Dominic North an interesting part to play, his own childish innocence giving way to the darkness of the magic that sustains him, yet he is not overcome by it. Even transformed, he retains the purity of his love for Aurora, keeping him waiting for 100 years until he is finally able and ready to save her. Between the two of them they tell a wonderful story of love and growing up and their chemsitry, at least from where I was sitting, was beautiful.
I also really loved one of the male fairies. I can’t be sure which it was and they were both great so I’ll mention them both; Joe Walking played Autumnus and Liam Mower played Tantrum. At a guess I would say it was Liam Mower who impressed me particularly, but I can’t be sure.
The stage door was an unexpected success. I went with the goal of autographs and photos with the four leads and left with the aforementioned (though my photo with Christopher Marney didn’t really come out:(), autographs from most of the cast and one random company member who wasn’t even on (Tom Jackson Greaves), but I recognised him, so I’ve probably seen him in something else, and I only went and got an autograph and photo from Matthew Bourne himself! I know it’s not the first time, but it was still bloody brilliant. I always think it’s a shame that only the cast get recognition from me/people at the stage door (not that they don’t deserve it, just that many others who’s faces are not so easy to recognise deserve it too) and it’s always lovely to be able to tell someone like him how truly wonderful their show was.
Anyhoo, I’m off to Cardiff this weekend for another Gary show (woot!) and since I’ll be there anyway, I’m popping in to the Millennium Centre for the Phantom Of The Opera matinee. It won’t be quite the same without John Owen Jones, but Earl Carpenter is a worthy replacement and I can’t wait to see the production again. In the meantime, I’m currently free tomorrow night, but will be off to see Loserville one last time if nothing else presents itself between now and 7pm tomorrow night. And as long as my cold doesn’t get the better of me. *sniffles balefully*
Peace, loVe loVe and happy ever afters,
K xx
[Actual publish date: 04/06/2013 – oops]
So Currently Captivated 