smallhobbit | The Red Shoes

Regularly readers of this blog will know that I am a fan of Sir Matthew Bourne's New Adventures productions. Their current production is The Red Shoes, based on the 1948 film. Originally, we had planned to see it back in January at Sadler's Wells, in London, but the weather that week was dodgy, which would have upset the trains (GWR trains are very temperamental), so we got a credit for our theatre tickets and booked to see it in Cardiff instead.

We went on Thursday, with a much shorter train journey, arriving in time for lunch and a quick walk around part of Cardiff Bay before heading to the matinée performance. The Cardiff Millennium Centre is a great venue for productions, and one I'd happily return to.

The production was everything we'd hoped for. I last saw it in December 2019, so remembered most of the story, but with different dancers the performance was always going to be new. The dancing was excellent - I don't think I can pick out anyone in particular, although I was delighted Victoria Page was danced by Cordelia Braithwaite, who I really like. The staging, music and lighting all helped to enhance it, and I was so pleased we had seen it.

It continues to tour for another couple of months, and then next year, it will be Cinderella. I'm already thinking of booking tickets.