Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty Tickets London

What's the story of Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty?

Sleeping Beauty is Perrault’s timeless fairy tale about a young girl cursed to sleep for one hundred years. The story was turned into a legendary ballet by Tchaikovsky and choreographer, Marius Petipa, in 1890.

Matthew Bourne takes this date as his starting point, setting the Christening of Aurora, the story’s heroine, in the year of the ballet’s first performance; the height of the Fin-de-Siecle period when fairies, vampires and decadent opulence fed the gothic imagination. As Aurora grows into a young woman, we move forwards in time to the more rigid, uptight Edwardian era; a mythical golden age of long Summer afternoons, croquet on the lawn and new dance crazes. Years later, awakening from her century long slumber, Aurora finds herself in the modern day; a world more mysterious than any Fairy story!

Matthew Bourne’s production introduces several characters not seen in Petipa’s famous Ballet or Grimm’s fairy tale. This imaginary kingdom is ruled over by King Benedict and Queen Eleanor. Princess Aurora’s romantic interest is not a Prince, but the royal gamekeeper, Leo. Representing the central forces of good and evil are Count Lilac (“the King of the Fairies”) and the Dark Fairy Carabosse. Bourne has also created the character of Caradoc, the sinister but charming son of Carabosse. Princess Aurora’s Fairy Godparents are characterised by their names – Ardor, Hibernia, Autumnus, Feral and Tantrum.

Who is in the cast of Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty?

Ashley Shaw returns to the central role of ‘Princess Aurora’ along with Katrina Lyndon making her debut in the role. ‘Leo’ will be played by Andrew Monaghan, with Stephen Murray and Rory Macleod both making their debuts in the role.

‘Carabosse’ and her son, ‘Caradoc’ will feature debuts from Paris Fitzpatrick, Jackson Fisch and Ben Brown, and ‘Count Lilac’ will also be played by Paris Fitzpatrick along with Dominic North and Christopher Thomas, all making their debuts in this role.

Completing the cast are several original cast members: Sophia Hurdley, Daisy May Kemp and Danny Reubens, along with those making their debuts in “Sleeping Beauty”: Benjamin Barlow Bazeley, Stephanie Billers, Isaac Peter Bowry, Kayla Collymore, Jade Copas, Cameron Flynn, Shoko Ito, Kurumi Kamayachi, James Lovell, Enrique Ngbokota and Bryony Wood.

Two New Adventures Emerging Artist Apprentices, Hannah Kremer, currently in her third year at Rambert, and Perreira Franque currently in his last year at Performers College, will both make their professional debuts in the ballet.

Who are the creative team of Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty?

Sleeping Beauty is directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, working with his regular collaborators and New Adventures Associate Artists Lez Brotherston (Set and Costumes), Paule Constable (Lighting) and Paul Groothuis(Sound Design).