The Mayflower Southampton

English National Ballet
The Sleeping Beauty

Wed 29 Oct - Sun 2 November 2008

Wed - Sat 7.30pm
Thu 2pm
Sat & Sun 2.30pm

Tchaikovsky's glorious music and MacMillan's classical choreography reawaken the magic of the world's favourite fairy tale in an enchanted world of castles and curses, forests and fairies.

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, Princess Aurora lived in an enchanted castle where fairies bestowed her with gifts of beauty, temperament, purity, joy, wit and generosity. The wicked Fairy Carabosse put a curse on Aurora; to prick her finger and die on her 16th birthday.

The beautiful and kind Lilac Fairy cast a spell to counter the curse so that instead of dying Aurora fell asleep for a hundred years. Only the touch of true love's kiss could awaken her and undo the evil spell...

Join English National Ballet's internationally acclaimed company of 67 dancers and full orchestra for this dazzling ballet.

Sleeping Beauty Free pre-performance talks at 6:15pm - For performance Thursday 30 October 7:30pm

Gain an insight into the creation of the production and find out more about English National Ballet.

To reserve your place please email talks@ballet.org.uk or telephone +44 (0)20 7581 1245

"...both lovely and durable - a staging of Sleeping Beauty so appealing it should keep for another 20 years... English National Ballet have a production to inspire not one but two generations"

- The Guardian

"...no brighter plum has appeared for years than Kenneth MacMillan's The Sleeping Beauty. What a triumph. Millions of steps, hundreds of costumes, dozens of dancers and a symphony orchestra"

- Sunday Express

"This is a ravishing production... English National Ballet have acquired a masterwork"

- Observer