Here’s Becca’s views on Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes, performed at Canterbury’s The Marlowe Theatre.

The adaptation of the 1948 film was very well  choreographed.  From the opening scene right to the end kept the audience enthralled and captivated.

As the mum of a young dancer I looked not only at the story but the whole production itself, from the costume, to the set designs, lighting and choreography . There was smooth transitions through all the different scenes, and the way that the spinning curtain was used to assist in the scene changes was particularly effective.  At times it was like you were at the back of the stage looking out to the audience.  The transitions to and from the white background to the darker scenes was well planned and executed. It was easy to see the differences in scenes as they were danced.

The dancers all players their roles as if they were actually in a film themselves, with charisma and charm, and showed great acting skills as well as the vast variety of dance genres they had to master. All twenty were talented and played each role with aplomb.

The costumes clearly put the show in the right era of the 1920s and ‘30’s and clearly demonstrated the social class. The dancers obviously were used to quick costume changes, some of which were made in the wings, knowing the layout of the dressing rooms at the Marlowe.

The dances ranged from traditional ballet with very little Pointe work, to sections of jazz, Argentine tango and the  occasional showgirl repertoire and Egyptian comedic dances. There was even a beach scene whereby the dancers had large beach balls to control. We were waiting at times to see the balls run off the stage but they were controlled admirably. There were times when you forgot you were watching a show within a show. This was especially true when the Red Shoes ballet sequence was danced. You really felt the emotions of both the dances and dancers.

The second half of the show was more relaxed. Here unfolded the love story between the pianist and the lead dancer along with the producer’s jealousy towards them. The dramatic end and astounding train visuals was totally unexpected from where I was sitting. I found the show truly amazing in lots of ways, particularly the demonstration of the skills and artistry of all the dancers. It was inspiring and would recommend it to others to watch, whether you ‘know’ ballet or not.

Now on tour around the country, this bold and seductive production is one that will entrance fans of film, theatre and dance alike, just as it did at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre.

Opening with dramatic chimes and a flickering curtain, we are immediately drawn into the film through a conductor waving his baton more like a magician and wand through dazzlingly atmospheric lights -courtesy of Paule Constable. It certainly feels enchanting, as well as a bit meta – a window to a screen on the stage observing an audience that we, here tonight, are watching.

Combining the drama of cinema with the theatricality of performance and romance of dance, it’s a ballet that does not feel like a ballet. This is what Bourne does – takes the familiar and twists it, adds his own ideas and challenges the audience’s preconceptions. And so the career of dancer Victoria Page (tonight played by Ashley Shaw), romantic struggles with composer Julian Craster (Dominic North), and a dedication to dance that is exploited by Boris Lermontov (Sam Archer), becomes not just a fairy tale, but a modern and vibrant piece of populist theatre.

The layers of set design shift between silhouettes and shadows, the stars of the night sky, sumptuous red velvet cinema and the interior of a theatre, as well as France and London. Designed by Lez Brotherston the revolving sections make for a seamless and swift movement between scenes that keep the pace moving. The dance styles are equally multifarious – there’s some jazz, ballet, ballroom and modern all coming into the mix. The dancers, as always, astound us with their talent, and even more so upon learning that the cast rotates every night so that no-one individual plays the same role constantly.

It’s a brief piece at just one hundred minutes long, but means that urgency and passion are retained. Ebbing gently at times, whirling with vivacity at others, the pace and passion are carefully managed. Sound is used to devastating effect by designer Paul Groothuis, temporarily throwing the viewer, and orchestrator Terry Davies weaves extracts from Bernard Herrmann’s film scores into the music that swoops as much as the dance itself.

As smoke billows across the stage and lights glare out, the only sounds we hear uttered by the performers are those of the fallen Victoria as she is hit by a huge steam train. The climatic drama here is breath taking and tragic, and the sadness felt testimony to the emotional tugs created in such a short space of time.  Melodrama and glamour mingle with sentiment and romance in a fashion that is rarely seen. Again, Bourne has taken leaps with imagination and confidence, and pulled off a masterpiece. Matthew Powell said that ‘The Red Shoes told us to go and die for art.’ You get the feeling Bourne would too.

Read more here, and go book here.