29 replies to this topic

[Cygnet]

Matthew Bourne is mounting his version of "The Sleeping Beauty."  The Telegraph's Sarah Crompton
previews the new production at Sadlers Wells Theatre, London.

http://www.telegraph...lers-Wells.html

[cubanmiamiboy]

Cygnet, on 04 December 2012 - 11:35 AM, said:

Matthew Bourne is mounting his version of "The Sleeping Beauty."  The Telegraph's Sarah Crompton
previews the new production at Sadlers Wells Theatre, London.

http://www.telegraph...lers-Wells.html

Aggh...

[abatt]

I can't recall where I read it, but the Bourne Sleeping Beauty will be coming to New York City next season.

[liebs]

not sure why you are reacting negatively about soemthing you haven't seen.  Although perhaps not classical ballet, I've found a number of Bourne's productions interesting and good theater.  I'm reserving judgement till I've seen it.

[Birdsall]

Does anyone know the slant he's giving it? I know he made Swan Lake about the prince being gay and longing for a male swan. What is the new slant he has on Sleeping Beauty? Does anyone know?

[sandik]

Crompton's preview (link above) gives a better precis than I can here, but I'm really hoping I can find my way somewhere that it's being presented -- I've thoroughly enjoyed what I've seen of Bourne's work, and would love to see what he does here.

For all that he makes some significant changes in foundational works, he has a great understanding of how they work theatrically.  From Crompton's preview:

"His favourite version of The Sleeping Beauty, one he saw in his youth in the 1980s and has since watched over and over again on video, is the Royal Ballet production by Ninette de Valois, with additional choreography by Frederick Ashton. 'My goodness, it is good and clear and fast and dramatic,’ he says. 'It makes sense. It is quite different from how it is done now.’"

[Birdsall]

sandik, on 04 December 2012 - 09:27 PM, said:

Crompton's preview (link above) gives a better precis than I can here, but I'm really hoping I can find my way somewhere that it's being presented -- I've thoroughly enjoyed what I've seen of Bourne's work, and would love to see what he does here.

Sorry! I forgot about the link! I just read it and had a fit of laughing when I got to the part where the puppet (baby Aurora) was dubbed "The Exorcist Baby".....I might have to see THAT to believe it!

Although I normally like traditional, I do enjoy certain crazy productions. The Copenhagen Ring is one of my favorite Ring productions and it is wild!

So I might give this Sleeping Beauty a try if it comes out on dvd! Still laughing at the Exorcist Baby!

[sandik]

Birdsall, on 05 December 2012 - 09:13 AM, said:

Still laughing at the Exorcist Baby!

That was a great comment.  I love hearing what performers actually call the props they use -- I remember a description of someone setting a new production of Jerome Robbins' Dybbuk, and the stager called the shawl the heroine was wearing the schmata.

I can only imagine what all those Nutcrackers we're seeing now are actually called backstage...

[cubanmiamiboy]

Birdsall, on 05 December 2012 - 09:13 AM, said:

the puppet (baby Aurora) was dubbed "The Exorcist Baby".....

...uuh...what..?

[bart]

A child puppet was used sensitively -- beautifully, in fact -- in Anthony Minghella's Met production of Madame Butterfly, available on dvd.

The Telegraph article, and especially the photos, look very promising to me.  Bourne has great visual imagination, and I found his Swan Lake to be quite respectful of the spirit of the piece.  The question I have is whether his choreographic imagination is equal to the scope of the Sleeping Beauty  score and story.

I no longer live in NYC, but if I did, I would order my tickets as soon as they went on sale.

[sandik]

I can't say anything about Sleeping Beauty, except that I really hope I get to see it, but I was absolutely blown away with his Play Without Words, a danced version of the film The Servant.  It was brilliant, a word I don't often use.

[Cygnet]

Here are the reviews:

http://www.telegraph...lls-review.html  

http://www.theartsde...heatre?page=0,1

http://www.guardian....g-beauty-review

http://www.independe...on-8395803.html

http://www.standard....ew-8398580.html

http://www.guardian....g-beauty-review

http://www.ft.com/cm...t#axzz2FLsN8lBB

[Paul Parish]

I've GOT to see it.... Luke Jennings convinced me.

[Helene]

Judith Cruickshank describes the scenario and production in detail in her review for danceviewtimes.

In her opening, she writes, "Having ...set ‘The Nutcracker’ in the grimmest of orphanages,"  I saw Bourne's "Nutcracker" at Sadlers Wells about a decade ago, and I'm not sure that the Land of the Sweets wasn't equally as frightening as the orphanage.

[JMcN]

I loved it when I saw it at the Lowry a few weeks ago (it premiered in Plymouth and came to the Lowry before opening in London).

Matthew Bourne is not a classical choreographer but he certainly gives nods to Petipa in this production in the Fairy dances in the prologue.  His main strength for me is his ability to put on a production that is visually stunning and thought provoking.  This production is no different - the set and costumes (by long-time collaborator Lez Brotherston) are utterly fabulous. As the linked preview says his Aurora is a wild child who has a Lady Chatterly moment with the gardener, her true love (or is he??).  I love the way the gardener is given a way of staying around for when Aurora wakes up in 100 years.

IMHO, it's definitely worth a view!