AN ACCLAIMED production of Tchaikovsky's ever-popular ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, opens its European premiere at the Mayflower on Friday, and runs until October 29.
Sir Kenneth MacMillan's production, with new sets by Peter Farmer, is being performed for the first time on English National Ballet's autumn tour.
Originally created for American Ballet Theatre and known as the Million Dollar Production, the production is set in an enchanted world of castles and curses, forests and fairies.
MacMillan's classical choreography takes you to a fairytale land where Princess Aurora lives in the magic castle.
Fairies bestow her with gifts of beauty, temperament, purity, joy, wit and generosity, but the wicked Fairy Carabosse appears and, in a fit of jealous rage, curses Aurora to prick her finger and die.
Everyone fears for Princess Aurora, but she lives safely and happily until her 16th birthday, when she is given a spindle as a gift, which pricks her finger. But all is not lost because the beautiful and kind Lilac Fairy casts a spell to counter Carabosse's curse and Aurora does not die but falls asleep for 100 years.
Only the touch of true love's kiss can undo Carabosse's evil spell.
There's a free, informal talk before the show at 6.15pm next Wednesday.
Telephone 023 8071 1811.
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