Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh*****

Even before I set foot in the Festival Theatre for The Red Shoes’ first night in Edinburgh I had goose bumps – just by looking at the images sent to me for my review.

Matthew Bourne (direction and choreography) and Lez Brotherston (set and costumes) never fail to put their own exciting and innovative stamp on classic (and not so classic) ballets, and this one is no exception.

Based on Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1948 film and the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale, it is a tragic story of a young dancer having to choose between love and ambition. But in true Bourne style it is peppered with comic moments – the looks and mannerisms of the bored ladies at Lady Neston’s opening soiree are a hoot, while the sand dance in the East End Music Hall scene had last night’s audience laughing out loud. Other lighter moments see dancers clad in swim suits playing with beach balls on the French Riviera and at the ballet company’s end of season party. 

For this is a ballet within a ballet. It gives us a glimpse into the world behind the spotlights, albeit, in this case, in the 1940s (when quite a lot of people smoked cigarettes, even when dancing!), and the pressures put on those who want to be the best. And tensions rise when Julian Craster, a struggling composer, and ballet impresario Boris Lermontov lock horns over Victoria Page, who becomes Lermontov’s prima ballerina in his ballet The Red Shoes – except he wants her to the exclusion of everyone and everything else. There are some dark, and even darker (wait for the thrilling, and completely unexpected closing scene), moments as the story pans out, with the music doing much to add to the atmosphere. At one stage it reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock’s horror films – and how right I was, because Bourne has used the music of Bernard Herrmann, who composed Hitchcock’s film scores, alongside original compositions from his own orchestrator Terry Davies. Paule Constable’s lighting also adds much to the show’s moods and I especially liked the way the red shoes were usually spotlit.

Bourne has given, and continues to give, much to the world of ballet. Sixty two per cent of the Red Shoes company were trained by the talent development programme within his New Adventures company, and his dancers really are top quality, performing with skill, grace, feeling, poise and, at times, almost death defying acrobatics!

Whether or not you are a fan of ballet, this is a stunning, sumptuous piece of theatre you should see.

Image: Johan Persson

The Red Shoes is at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh until Apr 18

capitaltheatres.com

It then continues touring:

Apr 21-25: The Alhambra Bradford

Apr 28-May 9: Theatre Royal Newcastle