Jemma Tonkin
Matthew Bourne’s 10-year anniversary revival of ‘The Red Shoes’ ballet is a stunning performance, with talented dancers and phenomenal staging. Having won the Olivier Award in 2017 for Best Entertainment, the audience undoubtedly were expecting a lot… this did not disappoint. The audience of Nottingham’s Theatre Royal was left mesmerised by the spellbinding tale of ballerina Vicky Page and her journey to stardom. This production was an example of a perfect night at the ballet.
Based on the seminal 1948 film ‘The Red Shoes’, and the 1845 Hans Christian Anderson tale, this stage adaptation faithfully retells the story of Vicky Page and her distress from choosing between her lover, Julian Craster, and her love for ballet, represented by the ballet impresario, Boris Lermontov. Both the film and the stage version show how art is the only thing that matters. As Matthew Bourne (the director and choreographer) states, this production displays how ‘art was something worth fighting for, even dying for’. In a current world where the arts are no longer prioritised, this ballet shows the importance of the passion and undying love experienced by the creators of art.
The cast of the performance on opening night was exceptional, especially Cordelia Braithwaite as Vicky, and Andy Monaghan as Lermontov, both having been in the original cast of the 2016 production. The chemistry between the whole cast was undeniable. The slightly melodramatic, humorous moments from the ensemble completed the ballet, making the audience audibly laugh and cheer several times before turning to darker themes in Act 2. The acting through body language and facial expressions was just as impressive as the dancing, capturing the audience and effortlessly guiding the story.
The staging was magnificent!
Despite a brief technical difficulty in Act 1, the performance bounced back quickly and resumed in all its glory without taking away from the experience. The staging was magnificent and creative, managing to be versatile to showcase backstage rehearsals, domestic scenes, London, Paris, and Monte Carlo, as well as the ballet within a ballet. This made the entire performance visually stunning, adding to the magical undertones and artistic message.
An interesting and slightly unconventional choice made by Bourne was to have the majority of the ballet danced on a flat. Usually, the female dancers are dancing en pointe (what people would imagine as dancing on their toes). The only people to dance en pointe were the prima ballerina in the fictional ballet company and the protagonist, Vicky Page. This allowed the red shoes to stand out, representing Vicky as the best dancer, being quite literally on a different level from the others.
Prepare to be enchanted by the beauty of art, and seeing just how far people will go to pursue their love for it.
What makes this ballet so successful is that it becomes a form of meta-theatre; it comments on the dance industry as it is a ballet about ballet. The audience experiences what Vicky does—we are all hypnotised by the red shoes, just like she is. The audience is captivated by Vicky’s story and her dedication to both the fictional ballet company and the performance you see on stage. This striking, magical performance is a must-see this week. Prepare to be enchanted by the beauty of art, and see just how far people will go to pursue their love for it.
‘The Red Shoes’ is being performed at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal from 3rd-7th February 2026, then continuing to tour in various locations around the UK until 9th May.
Jemma Tonkin
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of Johan Persson. No changes were made to these images.
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