The Sleeping Beauty

The Sleeping Beauty

Birmingham Royal Ballet

Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 2nd March

***** Five Stars “It’s a dream ticket”

It is a beloved tale that is given the full luscious treatment by the Birmingham Royal Ballet in this tireless production of Sleeping Beauty with choreography from the peerless Sir Peter Wright. The touches of magic the brilliant dancers and the extravagant settings make it a dream ticket. The delight is akin to gradually turning the pages of a much-loved grand story book. With of course the accompaniment of the grand Tchaikovsky score.

he story is centred around the cursed Aurora who gets the evil treatment from Carabosse and is then destined to sleep soundly in the woods until awoken from her slumber by the kiss of a true lover. Prince Florimund eventually turns up and provides the gentle wake up call. Daria Stanciulesu squeezes every delightful bit of evil out her portrayal of the devilish Carabosse.

Yu Kurihara and Lachlan Monaghan are sublime as Aurora and the Prince respectively, Kurihara pointe work is stunning, and Monaghan provides a sparkling mix of strength and grace and a touch of fun to go with it. Together they mix up a delightful chemistry. Their grand pas de deux is rightfully a keenly awaited highlight.

All the company contribute to elevate this to the grand scale where it rightly belongs with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia under Philip Ellis effortlessly aiding us with the transportation to a better place.

It is the BRB in commanding form full of dynamism and delicacy which has become their mark over their glittering decades on stage. 

Come under the spell. 

David Robinson