Matthew Bourne’s gothic sizzler of a Sleeping Beauty is, at heart, a cautionary tale. A childless king and queen seek the help of a Dark Fairy, who procures a baby for them.
Adam Maskell as the Dark Fairy Carabosse in Matthew Bourne’s SLEEPING BEAUTY (Photo: Johan Persson)
(How, we do not know. And once we set eyes on this Carabosse – portrayed by the formidable Adam Maskell in a stiffly boned Victorian gown, his murderous eyes masked with kohl, his shoulders sprouting eagle wings – we daren’t ask.)
Those infernal fairies: Phil King (Autumnus), Mari Kamata (Ardor), Kate Lyons (Hiberna), Liam Mower (Count Lilac), Katie Webb (Feral), Andrew Monaghan (Tantrum) guarding the loathsome puppet baby Aurora in Matthew Bourne’s SLEEPING BEAUTY (Photo: Johan Persson)
The royal couple forget to express their gratitude.
This failure to write a thank-you note sets in motion a harrowing sequence of events involving vampires, betrayals, abduction, a virgin sacrifice, a lawn party on the grounds of Downton Abbey, and blessed Tchaikovsky blasted at a decibel level normally reserved for Led Zeppelin.
Click here to read my review of Wednesday night’s performance at Sadler’s Wells in Bachtrack.
The luminous Ashley Shaw as Princess Aurora (Photo: Johan Persson)
Tom Clark as the sleazy Caradoc and Cordelia Braithwaite as Princess Aurora (Photo: Johan Persson)
Liam Mower as Count Lilac (Photo: Johan Persson)
