Matthew Bourne will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his critically acclaimed dance company New Adventures at Sadler’s Wells next year, with revivals of some of the company’s most seminal pieces and the world premiere of Sleeping Beauty.
The anniversary plans, announced today at a press conference at the Islington venue, will actually kick off later this year with the revival of the company’s hit show Nutcracker! In May 2012 Sadler’s Wells will present Early Adventures, a mixed bill of three of Bourne’s early works including the Olivier Award-nominated Town And Country, Spitfire and The Infernal Galop.
In July, Bourne’s Play Without Words will run for a strictly limited four week season. The first London revival since its National Theatre premiere in 2002, the Olivier Award-winning play was originally commissioned by Trevor Nunn for his last season at the lauded venue. Based on Harold Pinter’s The Servant, the piece indeed contains no words and sees multiple people playing single characters at the same time.
The year-long season will end with the world premiere of Sleeping Beauty, Bourne’s new interpretation of the classic fairy tale. The choreographer’s new version will be a gothic tale for all ages, with a supernatural twist.
Bourne explained today that the production will not ignore the changing times during Aurora’s 100-year enchanted sleep, as many classical ballet productions do, instead highlighting this gap by taking the action from the Edwardian setting of the fated princess’s christening, to a fairytale wedding in 2012.
Bourne explained his vision, saying: “As Aurora grows into a young woman, we move forwards in time to the more rigid, uptight Edwardian era; a mythical golden age of long summer afternoons, croquet on the lawn and new dance crazes. Years later, awakening from her century-long slumber, Aurora finds herself in the modern day; a world more mysterious and wonderful than any fairy story!”
Bourne, often described as “the undisputed king of dance theatre”, is a five times Olivier Award-winning choreographer whose company has toured to over 14 countries with successful productions including Edward Scissorhands, Swan Lake and Cinderella.
New Adventures is Sadler’s Wells resident dance company so it is fitting that the company should celebrate its anniversary at the venue. Alistair Spalding, Artistic Director of Sadler’s Wells, said today: “I am delighted that we will be recognising Matthew Bourne’s incredible contribution and achievements at Sadler’s Wells next year. No other artist in dance has succeeded in bringing so many new audiences to the form.”
Sadler’s Wells also announced today that its spring/summer 2012 season will see revivals of Akram Khan’s Desh, Wayne McGregor’s Far and Ballet Boyz’s Mixed Programme. The Most Incredible Thing, the Pet Shop Boys’ high profile collaboration with Javier De Frutos, will also return to the venue next March.
The season also features several collaborations, with previously announced co-productions Tanztheatrer Wuppertal Pina Bausch: World Cities 2012 and new Bollywood musical Wah! Wah! Girls both playing next summer.
The packed schedule is completed with new work from world renowned choreographers including Ivan Putrov and Russell Maliphant and companies Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, Rambert Dance Company and Richard Alston Dance Company.
CM