Review: Cinderella by Birmingham Royal Ballet at The Bristol Hippodrome
Posted on: 28 Mar 2025Not to sound like a cliché but this was a truly magical evening, a privilege to experience a beautiful retelling of a classic fairy tale... absolutely breathtaking!
Colette Hand reviews Birmingham Royal Ballet's performance of Cinderella at The Bristol Hippodrome.
'Cinderella' or ‘The Little Glass Slipper’ is a well loved fairy tale which is told throughout the world. This timeless tale’s origins are from a Greek story dated sometime between 7BC and AD23. The most famous version of this story was published in French by Charles Perrault in 1697, and another later version by the Brothers Grimm in 1812.
This narrative ballet composed by Prokofiev was one of his most popular, composed between 1940 and 1944. This production is recreated beautifully with Sir David Bintley's choreography, and costume and set designs by John Macfarlane. Prokofiev's music is performed by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia and blends skilfully and seamlessly with the dance.
The performance opens movingly with the graveside scene of Cinderella's mother's passing.
Cinderella is comforted and held by her father but the stepmother soon whisks him away, and when her father dies she is left alone, save for the dubious company of her ‘ugly' step-sisters and the occasional interaction with her ‘wicked’ step-mother. Cinderella is their servant, harassed, terrorised, and pushed around. The only comfort in her bleak existence is a pair of beautiful slippers which belonged to her mother, and a portrait of her mother which she hides away in a box from her tormentors.
Beauty is skin deep. It was interesting to see and think about how beautiful people can be portrayed as ‘ugly’ solely through the mediums of music and dance. Sir David Bintley pulled it off perfectly. The comic slapstick roles of the two ‘ugly’ stepsisters were expertly executed, and he perfectly created and painted in unattractive personalities, one a spiteful shrew, the other a lover of excess, cleverly depicted not just with showing her over indulgence with food but also including in her makeup. Between them the sisters bully and torment, persecute and intimidate the beautiful ‘Cinderella’. At the ball they flirt outrageously and throw themselves at men.
Cinderella is dressed plainly and demurely, and she dances in no shoes. She lives in a grey and bleak kitchen, a soulless existence, broken up with her daydreams of meeting her prince.
In contrast to the sisters, Cinderella is a true beauty. She is modest and meek. She is delicate, delightful, exquisite and elegant. She possesses a radiance. Treating everyone with reverence and respect, she is absolutely charming and full of humility, as shown in how she acknowledges and interacts with the footmen as she is descending the staircase when attending the ball.
Cinderella's cruel and ‘wicked’ stepmother, whilst exquisitely dressed in the most beautiful gown (for a widow) is also an ugly and distasteful character. She abuses and neglects Cinderella, forcing her to clean and serve them. She is selfish and will trample over anyone to get ahead, even her own daughters if necessary.
In contrast to the wicked stepmother, a poor beggar woman dressed in rags appears out of nowhere in the bleak kitchen and, after being shown kindness by ‘Cinderella’, is transformed into her fairy godmother. She is beautiful, warm, and maternal, all things that are lacking in Cinderella's life. The fairy godmother is interestingly, thoughtfully, and cleverly portrayed as a ghostly re-incarnation of ‘Cinderella’s’ mother, implied through her costume, acting, and mannerisms.
The costumes were magnificent- splendid and sumptuous, from the beautiful brocades of the men's frock coats to the frills and flounces of the tutus, full of glitz and glamour and sparkle...and how they managed to dance in those powdered wigs without them dislodging or falling off (defying gravity!) amazed me.
The costumes of the mice, the toad and the lizards were an absolute delight.
The depiction of the four seasons and the stars were beautiful, a visual treat however I was confused as to their relevance. I could see in a later scene the beauty of Cinderella and her prince dancing amongst the stars, however the four seasons still escaped my understanding, but still stunning costumes and performance nonetheless…. Perhaps no reason is needed ‘just because’ is good enough. All the costumes were spectacular.
And lastly, the dancing itself. What can I say…amazing and awesome.
I loved the animals, it was fantastic how the dancers moved just like their animals, especially portraying the lizards with their side to side gait and the skittishness of the mice.
It was graceful, yet full of energy. Bodies bending and flexing into positions that defy me and quite frankly should be impossible. The pure athleticism and strength to hold those positions, to execute the lifts, to stay on pointe, is jaw dropping… I was astounded, and they made it look so effortless.
Thank you Birmingham Royal Ballet for a magical evening. You are all shining stars!
Click here for all upcoming Bristol Hippodrome performances. Cinderella continues until Saturday 29 March 2025.
Article by:
Colette Hand, BA graduate of Bath Spa University and retired primary school teacher. Now an avid crafter for charity and volunteer shop assistant for SENSE charity. Enjoys time spent with twin grandchildren.
