Review of Varna International Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty at Norwich Theatre Royal: Young company breathes new life into historically important pieces from ballet’s golden era

Sleeping Beauty by Varna International Ballet – Theatre Royal, Norwich

This company, formed in 1947, is based in Bulgaria and brings 40 dancers from all over the world plus a full orchestra to tour its traditional productions of classical ballets such as Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.

This version of Sleeping Beauty, with its evocative Tchaikovsky score, is packed with terrific choreography and technical excellence which fans of pure ballet will thrive on. It’s also a real test of stamina for Princess Aurora, our Sleeping Beauty, performed by Andrea Conforti, who is really the gift that keeps giving!

I particularly enjoyed Nicolás Pérez as the Evil Fairy Carabosse, all swagger and menace, while Aino Louhivaara as the Lilac Fairy, our Good Fairy, was elegant, with a real lightness of touch.

There are scrumptious costumes and the fairytale segment, in the second half, is particularly memorable, with Agnese di Dio Masa as a purr-fect cheeky White Cat.

This is a young company breathing new life into historically important pieces from ballet’s golden era and they should be both applauded and supported for that.

The company is here until tomorrow (Saturday). Tonight’s Swan Lake is sold out but there are still tickets for both shows of The Nutcracker tomorrow.

Visit www.norwichtheatre.org

Review by Sarah Hardy