Scottish Ballet’s spellbinding performance

‘Be kind, have courage and always believe in a little magic.’

From glistening glass slippers to ethereal Fairy Godmothers, pure white ball gowns to pumpkin carriages, Cinderella is an enchanting classic whose beauty never fades.

But it is a remarkable feat to bring such magic to life on a stage, and to entertain an audience of all ages – something that the Scottish Ballet has once again achieved with spectacular style in their latest tour.

Will Cinderella’s fairy-tale dream come true?

Opening the performance with Cinderella in a poor state, the grief-stricken girl plants a single rose at her beloved mother’s grave – the rose being a beautiful motif that repeats time and again throughout the production. As her father marries again and Cinderella’s evil stepmother and ugly stepsisters treat her with disdain, hope of a fairy-tale ending seems far from the young girl’s grasp.

Envious of her natural beauty and kind nature, her stepmother sells many of the family’s belongings – including a treasured portrait of Cinderella’s mother – so she can fund a more extravagant lifestyle for her own two clumsy daughters. With all but Cinderella heading off to the ball in outrageously snazzy attire, she can only wish that her Fairy Godmother can make her dreams come true…

Cinderella and her grief-stricken father struggle play their roles beautifully

To say nothing of the incredible dancing from every last performer on stage, the production was a veritable feast for the eyes – the costume department had created some utterly beautiful pieces including delicate rose dresses for the ladies, military-style jackets for the gents, dress-making spider costumes and, a personal favourite, a glorious grasshopper outfit. The Scottish Ballet Orchestra, who were playing Prokofiev’s scores, set a perfect scene.

The performance was sprinkled with great humour, particularly from the ugly sisters. With one playing a naïve and uncoordinated girl, and the other a rather intimidating, stroppy sister, their ability to mix grace with comedy raised many smiles.

As the production was relatively paired-back, it allowed the dancers’ athleticism to shine through. With the leading man and lady played by Barnaby Rook Bishop and Sophie Martin on the night, not a single foot was out of place, and their strength and stamina was something to behold. Looking around the audience, it was evident it appealed to all ages – with little girls pretending to put glass slippers on each other and grandparents laughing heartily, it was a resounding success.

The ugly step-sisters playing their comedic role to perfection

Around 600 pairs of pointe shoes are used during the winter season tour, so the dancers had perfected every single step of Christopher Hampson’s choreography to ensure a beautiful, entertaining performance. Designed by Tracy Grant Lord and lit up by George Thomson, the set was thoroughly enchanting.

Their Cinderella production opened in Edinburgh in December 2018. The tour continues in Inverness from 23-26 January 2019, and will end in Newcastle 30 January-2 February.

Tickets are available here.

The ugly step-sisters add a dash of comedy to the production

The ugly step-sisters add a dash of comedy to the production

As the Scottish Ballet was founded in 1969, the dance company celebrates their 50th anniversary this year. With an exciting line-up for 2019 and 2020, the Scottish Ballet are granting five special wishes to inspirational Scots through the Make A Wish scheme, as a thanks for Scotland’s support. All five successful wishes will be announced to the public on 31 January. They will be voted for by the public and the judging panel which includes Susan Calman, Fred MacAulay, Dame Darcey Bussell, Christopher Hampson, Janice Forsyth and Principal Dancer Christopher Harrison.

Dame Darcey Bussell said: ‘I am excited to be on the judging panel for Scottish Ballet’s Make A Wish campaign to help share the magic of ballet with people across Scotland in the company’s 50th year. I look forward to seeing lots of wonderful wish ideas and am sure there will be some really personal and imaginative ones for us to choose from.’

The Scottish Ballet’s 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner will also be taking place in 2019. On the 22 June, there will be an evening of entertainment and celebration at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh. From world premiere performances, to dinner, dancing and an auction full of prizes, tables of ten can be booked at £180 per head. There will be a champagne reception, a three course dinner and wine. A glittering night of hospitality for all!

For more information, contact Yvonne Halliday on 0141 331 6274.