CINDERELLA

As part of my Christmas present, Paul took me to see Matthew Bourne's Cinderella. I love the ballet (brownie points for Paul). I am in absolute awe of the discipline and control in ballerinas. To make something so painful, look so graceful and beautiful is incredible. Anyone who can smile through bloodied, blistered feet deserves a little medal from the Queen. Sadler's Wells is one of my favourite theatres in London. Mixing contemporary dance, with traditional. The actual theatre is modern, with a beautiful space for the design team to work with. I always feel like I have learnt something when I walk out afterwards.

First seen in the West End in 1997, Bourne takes the story of Cinderella into the Second World War to the score of the Prokofiev's original Cinderella. Bourne chose to set the love story in WWII as he felt he could feel the war within the score. Prokofiev wrote the original score at the time of WWII. The show was followed with a talk from Matthew Bourne, where he admitted reasons why the show failed at its debut in 1997. Cinderella followed the mass success of Swan Lake, and went straight to the West End, this was Bourne's biggest mistake he felt. The story itself is not fit for a West End setting. It is much more intimate, and suited much more to a Sadler's Wells style theatre- much to Sadler's Wells delight!

For some reason, whenever I go to the theatre or the cinema I always get stuck next to someone with a breathing problem, or missing teeth (who then insist of sucking werthers originals! WHY!?) She was also practically sitting on my lap, leaning into me with her darth vader breathing problem. Thanks babes. That was lush.

The show was fantastic and incredibly innovative. I felt at times the score was a little too long for the story, and some filler was added in, but it would be rude to cut I suppose and overall, as always Bourne's dancers were very strong. Not ENTIRELY sure I liked the gay "fairy godmother." who looked a bit like the judderman from the metz adverts a while ago. Creeepy.

The after talk was insightful, apart from the god awful woman who asked the question "I've noticed your dancers aren't stick thin and portray a healthy woman, is this an active choice of yours?!" SHUT UP. Matthew Bourne backed into a corner... She might as well have put the words in his mouth herself... What can he actually say to that question?! "I like my dancers to look like real women..." Replies Bourne sheepishly, not entirely sure the woman actually watched the performance... YES MATTHEW that is what real women look like. I can just imagine his dancers back stage becoming bulimic after being described as REAL WOMEN. His dancers are normal sized ballet dancers, great bodies, extremely slim, but with a bit of muscle. I let out a massive "EURGHHHH" when the question was asked, which got a little laugh from the people around me. GO ME.

Thankyou Paul for the first part of my beautiful Christmas presents.

LOOKEY LIKEY...