From the very start of Hofesh Shechter’s return to the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, with a blatant nod to the monolith and apes of 2001 Space Odyssey, we a bombarded with a dense series of cultural references.
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A man’s struggle with dementia was the canvas for this astounding play without (many) words: a rich, adventurous, and deeply impressive production where every movement was deliberate and delicious.
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This may be Cinders, but there is no
pumpkin in sight – the fairy godmother is a male angel, the carriage a
motorbike and sidecar, and the ball is at the Cafe de Paris in the midst of the
London Blitz.
This sumptuous new ballet focuses on
Italy’s famous romancer, seeking to recast him as a man as much of letters and
emotion as of energetic rutting.
Based loosely on the Powell and Pressburger classic film, this reimagining of the reimagined Hans Christian Andersen fairytale is a typically stylish Matthew Bourne affair.
Explore MoreCross dressing, silly costumes, and even
dafter slapstick – is this another Theatre Royal pantomime? Oh no it is isn’t!
It’s The Russian State Ballet of Siberia’s take on one of the oldest
established ballets.
As with most fairytales there are some
mixed messages in this Northern Ballet version of the story of the vainglorious
prince turned to a monster by a slighted fairy.
Billed as an exploration of migration, the nature of belonging, and the fleeting nature of our surroundings, this unusual production took the audience from the auditorium of Epic Studios through impromptu performances spaces in Anglia Square, St Augustine’s, and the surrounding streets.
Explore MoreOne of the spookiest tales in ballet, Giselle tells the tale of the titular peasant girl, who dies of a broken heart when she discovers her lover – the disguised Count Albrecht – is set to marry another.
Explore MoreTinsel bright and shiny this Northern Ballet production of
The Nutcracker is a pleasantly sweet introduction to the festive season.
Coppelia is certainly one of the latter, with a frothy and entertaining story of a pair of young lovers split up by an all-too-convincing toymaker’s doll, a high-spirited house break, attempted death by magic and – finally – a marriage and presumably happiness ever after.
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William Golding’s classic tale is one of a group collapsing in on itself: this production is a group coming together in spectacular fashion.
Explore MoreThe Nutcracker is a Christmas tale of a young girl whose eponymous
present comes to life, but this Russian State Ballet of Siberia production
felt more like Boxing Day leftovers.
The fag end of one of the modern era’s longest depressions is an odd time for a revival of F Scott Fitzgerald’s best known piece, but The Great Gatsby is everywhere right now.
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How do you deal with a story where the key action is the heroine sleeping for 100 years? If you’re Matthew Bourne, you shove the slumber in the interval and sex up the narrative with vampire fairies.
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