Written By: Mark Armstrong
Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre
New Adventures are delighted to announce the full cast and further tour dates for the first revival of Sleeping Beauty as devised, directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, which will play at the Liverpool Empire from Tuesday February 16-Saturday February 20 2016.
Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty is a gothic tale for all ages; the traditional tale of good vs. evil and rebirth is turned upside-down, creating a supernatural love story that even the passage of time itself cannot hinder
Bourne’s new scenario introduced 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.
Returning to the central role of Aurora in this first revival is rising star Ashley Shaw. Ashley recently played Lana in the triumphant revival of The Car Man, and has also played Kim in Edward Scissorhands, Sugar in Nutcracker! and the title role in Cinderella. Cordelia Braithwaite made her debut with New Adventures in Swan Lake in 2013 and has since featured in this year’s revival of The Car Man, covering the role of Lana. Cordelia makes her debut as Aurora this season; her first Principal role with New Adventures.
The leading role of Leo will once again be played by Dominic North and Chris Trenfield who co-created the role in 2012. Dominic holds the distinction of appearing in more New Adventures productions than any other dancer and was most recently seen as Angelo in The Car Man (Seen also in the filmed version for SkyArts). He was nominated as “Outstanding Male Dancer” at The National Dance Awards for his performance as Edward Scissorhands which he re-created to much acclaim earlier this year. Chris has this year been seen as Luca in The Car Man and played the role in the SkyArts TV broadcast in August. One of New Adventures' most versatile leading men, he has also been seen as Tony in Play Without Words, the title role in Nutcracker! and The Swan/Stranger in Bourne’s Swan Lake which he also danced at the Music Centre of Los Angeles 50th Anniversary Gala last year.
Count Lilac will be portrayed once again by one of New Adventures most accomplished performers Christopher Marney, and in his third Principal role for New Adventures this year, Liam Mower. Christopher has been seen in the highly successful Triple Bill, Early Adventures, as Cyril Vane in Dorian Gray (Created role), The Prince in Swan Lake and The Angel in Bourne’s Cinderella in 2010. Most recently, he has had a big personal success as the choreographer of the West End hit play, McQueen. Liam Mower is the Olivier award-winning original star of the West End hit Billy Elliot. Joining New Adventures in 2011 to appear in Nutcracker!, he has also appeared in Play Without Words, as The Prince in Swan Lake (a role in which he danced with the Royal Ballet’s Edward Watson at last year’s Ignite Festival) and his critically-acclaimed portrayal of Edward Scissorhands earlier this year.
The twin roles of Carabosse and Caradoc will be shared by two charismatic New Adventures performers: Adam Maskell who co-created the role in 2012 returns to the Company having previously featured in Dorian Gray, Nutcracker! (title role), Play Without Words and as The Angel in Cinderella. Tom Clark makes his debut in a Principal role with New Adventures following roles in Swan Lake, The Car Man and as Jim Upton in Edward Scissorhands.
King Benedict will be played by Will Bozier (Edward Scissorhands) Glenn Graham (Swan Lake, The Angel in Cinderella and The Car Man) and Chris Trenfield. Queen Eleanor by Pia Driver (Swan Lake, The Car Man, Edward Scissorhands), Nicole Kabera (Edward Scissorhands, Nutcracker!, The Car Man, Swan Lake) and Katie Webb (Swan Lake, The Car Man).
Completing the Sleeping Beauty Company are Daniel Collins, Jack Jones, Mari Kamata, Phil King, Dominic Lamb, Dena Lague, Katy Lowenhoff, Katrina Lyndon, Kate Lyons, Andrew Monaghan, Leon Moran and Danny Reubens.
Sleeping Beauty is directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, working again with three of his regular collaborators and New Adventures Associate Artists; Lez Brotherston (Set and Costumes), Paule Constable (Lighting) and Paul Groothuis (Sound Design). The 2015 Revival will be directed by Matthew Bourne, Staged by Associate Director Etta Murfitt, and the Resident Director is Neil Westmoreland.
Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty premiered in 2012, and was the fastest selling production in the company’s history. Sleeping Beauty was created for New Adventures 25th birthday celebrations and completed Matthew Bourne’s trio of re-imagined Tchaikovsky ballet masterworks that started in 1992 with Nutcracker! and, most famously, in 1995, with the international hit Swan Lake. This dazzling production has won the hearts of thousands and smashed box office records across the UK and at Sadler’s Wells. Its USA premiere in 2013 prompted Joan Acolella of The New Yorker to hail Bourne as “the most popular choreographer of theatrical dance in the Western world”, and The New York Times said: “This is Bourne at his best – a masterful storyteller.” The production also won three Los Angeles Drama Critic Awards and the Ovation Award for “Best Production”.
Perrault’s timeless fairy tale, about a young girl cursed to sleep for one hundred years, was turned into a legendary ballet by Tchaikovsky and choreographer, Marius Petipa, in 1890. 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!
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