Review: Sleeping Beauty by Varna International Ballet and Orchestra in Bristol
Posted on: 06 Jan 2024The Varna International Ballet and Orchestra visited Bristol this week with performances of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. 365Bristol sent our reviewer Alys Marshall to catch up on the latter.
Sleeping Beauty: a sparkling take on the classical ballet
On a typically grey and drizzly January evening, it was a treat to slip into the world of classical ballet, with shining costumes, a dreamy Tchaikovsky score and the gob-smacking grace and weightlessness of the Varna International Ballet cast.
The curtains opened on a fairly minimal set – as is often the case in the genre – but a sense of historic grandeur was conveyed through props and projections. The ballet’s prologue effectively set up the storyline of the tale, with the introduction of baby Princess Aurora on her christening, as well as a mysterious old woman in black who turns out to be the Evil Fairy, played by Mirko Andreutti, who seemed to enjoy this role immensely.
As we moved into Act One, we met Aurora again, this time on her sixteenth birthday and beautifully portrayed by Martina Prefetto. Here, we had a charming sequence amidst the whole court, with four suitors lining up in an attempt to woo Aurora. I’ll admit I was slightly distracted during this scene by a costume malfunction that saw one prince’s hat fall off not once, but four times; to their credit, it was very professionally handled by an unruffled cast.
The curse that puts Aurora to sleep was done via the Evil Fairy’s iconic spindle, and the Lilac Fairy then sends the whole kingdom to sleep in her wake. Mara Salvaggio – who portrayed the Lilac Fairy – was a real highlight of the show, and for me, the sequence that followed in Act 2 between her and Prince Désiré was the most moving and visually impressive in the production.
We all know how Sleeping Beauty ends, so rather than lingering on true love’s kiss and the wedding of Prince Désiré and Princess Aurora, I want to spend a moment acknowledging the live orchestra. Tchaikovsky’s score successfully brought the ballet to life, enthusiastically led by Music Director and Chief Conductor Peter Tuleshkov. Bojidar Benev as first violin was memorable too; he seemed completely at ease achieving some truly stratospheric high notes. We were clearly in safe hands.
This wasn’t a perfect production, there were a few noticeable mishaps as mentioned, but it certainly had charm, romance, and as always – the sheer athletic capability of professional ballet dancers never fails to amaze.
Click the link for more shows taking place at The Bristol Hippodrome.
Article by:
Alys is a full-time copywriter, avid reader and podcast enthusiast currently based in Henleaze. As a recent transplant from the North, she’s keen to explore everything the South West has to offer, but is especially interested in exploring the food, art and culture scene in Bristol.
