a gothic tale like no other

Matthew Bourne's third in his re-imagined Tchaikovsky series, Sleeping Beauty returns for its 10th anniversary production, filling the UK with majestic gothic beauty once more! The timeless tale of good vs evil is hitting the road on tour, where you're invited to witness a supernatural love story. A world of fairies and vampires awaits.

First danced in 1890, Sleeping Beauty is undoubtedly Tchaikovsky's most romantic ballet outing, as his score twists, enchants and moves alongside Charles Perrault's magical fairy story.
Bourne takes the tale back to that time, magnifying the era's fascination with the supernatural, from kindly fairies to dastardly vampires, before jumping ahead to present day, where the modern world yields even more mystery.

YOU ARE FEELING SLEEPY: THE STORY OF SLEEPING BEAUTY.

On the day of her grand christening, the Princess Aurora is admired by all in the kingdom, including a cast of fairies, ready to imbue her with the virtues she'll need in life. But one fairy is left off the guest list- the evil fairy! Furious, she bursts into the hall and curses baby Aurora, wishing her to die upon her 16th birthday, after pricking her finger on a spinning wheel. But all is not lost, the strong Lilac fairy, while not able to undo the curse, can adapt it, and instead Aurora will sleep...for 100 years...

When the time comes, the Lilac fairy bewitches the whole realm into sleep, joining Aurora in her sentence, as vines and trees grow up around the palace, hiding it from view. Finally, Aurora's saviour, Prince Desire arrives and plants on her true love's kiss, waking the Princess and kingdom just in time for a jubilant and triumphant wedding ceremony!