Review: The Red Shoes

This week, Matthew Bourne’s production of The Red Shoes is at Milton Keynes Theatre. It was a sell-out at the world premier in London in 2016 and won two Olivier Awards. Audiences have been dazzled across the world including right here in MK and now you’re in for a second chance to catch this superb ballet which is unlike any other you have seen or will see! The Red Shoes last arrived in MK three years ago back in February 2017.

Hans Christian Andersen wrote the original fairy tale, The Red Shoes in 1845 which inspired the 1948 Powell and Pressburger film. The fairy tale is much darker (as is to be expected!) with a plot that includes chopping off feet and bursting hearts! This ballet however is a brilliant contemporary reimagining of the film that starred Moira Shearer. The seemingly magical red shoes have a mind of their own and will not stop dancing, however the overall story follows a ballet company, their shows and tours and this particular performance with their rising star, Victoria Page (performed exquisitely by Cordelia Braithwaite) and is essentially a ballet within a ballet!

The Red Shoes is a tale of obsession, possession and one girl's dream to be the greatest dancer in the world - whatever the cost. Victoria Page meets Boris Lermontov, the director of an innovative ballet company who has a knack for talent spotting. Victoria lives to dance but her ambitions become a battleground between two very different men who inspire her passion. The impresario brings her to stardom, but she risks losing her career when she marries composer, Julian Craster. 

Set to the achingly romantic music of golden-age Hollywood composer Bernard Herrmann, you’ll be transported behind the scenes of the eccentric world of a ballet company and then into utterly surreal scenes as you’re introduced to the red shoes. The stage sets are so clever, as you’ll see in the images (I couldn’t choose just one!), from the dusty backstage rehearsals to glamourous parties and trips abroad when they’re on tour to the surreal set for the actual ballet of The Red Shoes. So with dazzling costumes and stage sets combined with some of the most wonderful dancing you will ever see, the show is completely hypnotic. 

Matthew Bourne is a magician in his own right bringing such beautiful and contemporary versions of classic stories to the modern stage and the modern audience. He has achieved something completely unique with the Red Shoes that would appeal to anybody. He said in an interview for the show’s brochure, “I have loved the film since I was a teenager with its depiction of a group of people all passionate about creating something magical and beautiful. It seemed to be saying that art was something worth fighting for, even dying for, if the rather melodramatic conclusion is to be believed? It was a world full of glamour, romance and creativity populated by larger-than-life personalities. In short, it was a world that I wanted to be a part of!”

For tickets, please head to www.atgtickets.com

Theatre District MK up for a re-vamp

The Theatre District

The Theatre District in central Milton Keynes has a pretty good selection of restaurants, and of course the theatre, but in recent years it has become something of a ghost town, not picking up the same amount of interest as many other areas of the city.

With the large number of restaurants and attractions in Milton Keynes, there is a huge choice for people when choosing where to eat or drink, particularly among the chain restaurants which are at the Theatre District as well as many other areas in Milton Keynes, including the shopping centre, Xscape, Kingston and now the new MK Stadium restaurant area. With so much of the same, there needs to be something more than just the food attracting visitors, and this is where the Theatre District has been struggling a bit lately, often seeming very quiet and dead, particularly during the day.

However, all this is set to change, with a whopping £20million development plan which was granted just this week. The plan is set to create over 100 jobs, and will be completed in late 2016. The plan includes building a Premier Inn hotel with 130 rooms, as well as 234 square metres of retail and 994 square metres of leisure, which is likely to include restaurants and bars.

Jonathan Manns, Colliers International Planning Director who advised on the development, says: "In rejuvenating and expanding the Theatre District these plans also improve the wider public realm and enhance links to existing shopping facilities..."

Jack Paravicini of Bursha Holdings commented: "We're keen to create a 'family friendly' area with a vibrant daytime and evening economy that increases footfall and supports the adjacent gallery and theatre."

With a bit of work (£20 million worth!) it's hoped that the Theatre District will be back in the runnings in competing with Milton Keynes' other leisure areas. The building of a Premier Inn hotel in such a central location is sure to be hugely popular, and the surrounding restaurants and bars will be sure to benefit as a result of the customers it will attract.

On top of all this, intu Milton Keynes has also just announced a new development, a major face-lift which will feature a five-screen boutique cinema, new shops and green spaces. The development could cost up to £70 million, and would be the most significant development the city centre has seen in over a decade. Pictures and information about the proposal are on display until 22nd March.

Proposal for intu Milton Keynes development

How do you feel about all this development? In a time where landmarks such as the Point are being demolished, is it right that money is being put into expanding and re-doing the already more modern areas?