The Sleeping Beauty

Classical ballet, filled with artistry, elegance and musical brilliance.

As you enter the Royal Albert Hall, the first thing that catches your attention is the stage. Rather than a traditional set, it is dominated by projected imagery covering both the stage floor and the upstage wall. The artwork is stylistically beautiful, blending ink and pen illustrations with a distinctly Renaissance-inspired aesthetic. Oddly enough, it also brought to mind some of the painted backgrounds from classic Disney animations. Throughout the evening the projections evolve, introducing blowing trees, rolling seas and other scenic elements, while also displaying the title and setting of each act and scene.

As striking as these visuals were, they also became the one aspect that stopped me from becoming fully immersed in the production. For a technically classical ballet such as The Sleeping Beauty, I found myself longing for more traditional built scenery, or perhaps a combination of physical sets and projection. The digital backdrop wasn’t bad by any means, it was genuinely great, but it gave the whole production more of an ‘in concert’ feel than a fully realised theatrical world.

Similarly, I found the lighting somewhat inconsistent. At times it worked beautifully alongside the costumes, but on other occasions it blended into them rather than complementing or highlighting the dancers. There were moments when I wanted the lighting to do a little more to draw focus or create depth on stage.

I’m unsure of the circumstances surrounding this particular production, but there were a handful of noticeable bobbles and missed moments across the evening. It gave the impression that perhaps the production hadn’t quite settled into its run yet. Having said that, this was opening night of only a four-day engagement at the Royal Albert Hall, and London was also in the middle of an intense heatwave, which undoubtedly creates additional challenges for everyone involved.

One advantage of my seat was being close enough to really appreciate the performers’ facial expressions. I usually sit further back for ballet, so being able to see the acting as well as the dancing added another layer to the performance and helped bring the story to life.

Choreographically there is still so much to admire in Kenneth MacMillan’s production. Emma Hawes made for an elegant Aurora, while Aitor Arrieta’s Prince Désiré danced with warmth and assurance. Together they had an easy chemistry, but they were equally impressive in their individual moments. The production also retains the traditional mime and sign-language gestures that are such an important part of classical storytelling, something I was pleased to see preserved rather than modernised away.

Musically, Tchaikovsky’s score remains as glorious as ever under the direction of Maria Seletskaja, and the orchestra sounded superb throughout. There were several moments where the dancers left the stage, allowing the audience simply to listen to the orchestra. While it was wonderful to hear the music so clearly, I did occasionally feel these pauses affected the pacing of the evening. I found myself wishing the orchestra had been visible during these passages rather than hidden from view. During the curtain call they were projected onto the rear wall, which felt like a missed opportunity considering how beautifully they played throughout the performance.

One unexpected visual highlight came from the use of haze. It looked particularly stunning whenever it caught the light from the overhead projections. From my angle, I could actually see the haze cascading gently off the edge of the stage into the stalls, creating an almost dreamlike effect that perfectly suited the fairytale atmosphere.

Despite many beautiful individual moments, I did leave feeling that the production lacked enough genuine “wow” moments. Sequences such as the White Cat and Puss in Boots, along with the grand wedding celebrations featuring Gold, Silver, Diamond and Princess Florine with the Bluebird, are usually the opportunities for a production to really showcase its creativity and theatrical flair. Here they felt almost too restrained. They fitted neatly into the overall style of the production, but never quite became the memorable showstoppers I expected. They arrived, delighted in the moment, and then faded from memory almost as quickly as they had appeared.

Overall, this is still an enjoyable evening of classical ballet, danced by an exceptionally talented company and accompanied by a magnificent orchestra. Visually it is undeniably elegant, even if I personally found the reliance on projection less engaging than a traditional set. While it didn’t quite transport me into its fairytale world as completely as I had hoped, there is still much to admire in the quality of the dancing, the timeless choreography and Tchaikovsky’s wonderful score.

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Photo Credit ASH