Review: Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty (UK Tour) at the Milton Keynes Theatre

Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty (UK Tour)
Milton Keynes Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 26th January 2016
★★★★★

Fresh from its festive season at Sadler’s Wells, the first revival of Matthew Bourne’s staging of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty is touring the UK. Billed as "a gothic romance", Bourne's ventures into a dark world to tell a classic good vs. evil story.

It is nothing short of inspiring to witness the detail of Bourne's production; within minutes I found myself fully entranced. The gothic interpretation is bold and stylish, Lez Brotherston's design feels grand and lavish. The entire concept stands strong - it never feels like Bourne is being different just for the sake of it; the piece remains fresh and still feels groundbreaking.

The skill and technique showcased by each and every company member is off the scale - there are moments of genuine spellbinding beauty. Precision and focus run consistently through every element of this production. A supernatural love story with more to it than first meets the eye, the ballet flies by in a flash. 

As the evening drew to a close I wanted to press rewind and watch it all over again. Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty is an absolute must see. 

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)

Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty runs at the Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 20th January 2016. Please visit www.new-adventures.net for further information, tour dates and tickets.

Photo Credit: Johan Persson

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