Birmingham Royal Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty at The Lowry
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Birmingham Royal Ballet bring a fairytale feast of charm, magic and love to The Lowry this March. A captivating experience for younger theatre-goers, The Sleeping Beauty has delighted audiences for well over a century and offers the perfect first trip to the ballet for the smallest dance enthusiasts.
Running at around two hours and 50 minutes (with two intervals), the much-loved children’s story and its cast of larger-than-life characters are sprinkled with ballet magic in this glorious production. The easy-to-follow story adheres to the traditional and beloved fairytale narrative. Princess Aurora finds herself destined for a century-long slumber, triggered by the prick of her finger on her 16th birthday, due to the wicked Fairy Carabosse’s curse. This sinister spell can only be broken by true love’s kiss.
This wonderful production – now in its 40th anniversary year – was created by Sir Peter Wright, the dance genius behind the BRB’s famous The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. The 2024 tour of The Sleeping Beauty follows on from the 2023 UK tour of Sir Peter Wright’s Swan Lake – BRB’s most successful spring tour to date, having been seen by a whopping 53,000 people.
For us, The Sleeping Beauty takes its well-deserved place among celebrated ballet classics – standing as a testament to BRB’s commitment to presenting high-quality heritage masterpieces for future generations to enjoy.
Expect sparkling virtuoso from BRB’s stunning dancers, dazzling design and sumptuous costumes by Philip Prowse – all set to Tchaikovsky’s enchanting score, played live by the acclaimed Royal Ballet Sinfonia. Dreamy.
