The Sleeping Beauty
BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET OPENS NEW 2006 SEASON AT THE LOWRY WITH A REVIVAL OF SIR PETER WRIGHT’S
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
The Lowry, Salford Quays, Wed 18 – Sat 21 January 2006
Press night Wed 18 January 7.30pm
Birmingham Royal Ballet will open a new season at The Lowry, Salford Quays, with a revival of Sir Peter Wright’s spectacular production of The Sleeping Beauty. Nicolette Frailon, Music Director and Chief Conductor for The Australian Ballet, will conduct the opening performances at The Lowry from Wed 18 to Sat 21 January.
Set to one of Tchaikovsky’s most famous scores, Peter Wright’s spectacular production has magnificent designs by Philip Prowse (who has designed for The Royal Ballet, English National Opera, The Royal Opera House and the National Theatre) and is one of the biggest productions toured by BRB. The company’s new Principal Dancer, Letizia Giuliani (formerly of Rome Opera Ballet and Maggiodanza, Florence) will make her debut as Princess Aurora in this bewitchingly beautiful production during the Salford season.
The Sleeping Beauty tells the captivating story of a princess who pricks her finger on a spindle and falls asleep for a hundred years. The audience is then taken on a magical journey to an enchanted forest where good triumphs over evil through a single kiss.
The drama and magic of this favourite childhood story is brought to life with lavish sets, over 150 beautiful hand sewn costumes and a cast of over 80!
Birmingham Royal Ballet is a partner company of The Lowry.
Classic FM recommended.
Birmingham Royal Ballet
The Sleeping Beauty
The Lowry, Salford Quays, Greater Manchester
Wed 18–Sat 21 January 2006, 7.30pm, Thu mat 2pm, Sat mat 2.30pm
Tickets £14-£36
Box office: 0870 7875793
Notes for Editors
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY – TRIVIA
Over 90 elaborately prepared wigs and hair pieces are used in the production.
Girls' pointe-shoes come from Freeds of London and other companies in Germany, Australia and Moscow. During the performance week the ladies in the Company can get through up to 300 pairs of pointe shoes.
The production has a cast of over 80 and over 150 hand-sewn costumes which are dry-cleaned before every season at the cost of £6-8,000. The preparation of the costumes can begin six-seven weeks before opening night. The Sleeping Beauty is one of the biggest productions toured by BRB. It is approximately 60ft wide and scaled down for some theatres on tour.
Since its conception, the production has played to packed auditoriums all over the UK and has toured to the USA, Japan, Brazil, Venezuela and New Zealand. It was last seen in Birmingham in 2003. Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of The Sleeping Beauty was first performed on 15th October 1984 at the Birmingham Hippodrome. The Company was then known as Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet and the first night cast included Marion Tait as Aurora, Roland Price as Prince Florimund, Margaret Barbieri as the Lilac Fairy, Sandra Madgwick as the Enchanted Princess and Galina Samsova as Carabosse.
Posted on Tuesday, 13 December 2005 under Press Theatre Press