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Today’s blog might be even more distracted than usual. I happened to find the most perfect dress that I have been searching for for over a year (the dress that I wanted to wear to the ballet), but it’s just outside of my budget. I don’t have extra funds since I’m still trying to save for the trip in the fall and I can’t find a side hustle and I’m not great at fundraising.
Anyhow, today we’re talking about what if Cinderella happened during World War II. Because that was Matthew Bourne’s idea for a production.
Right off the bat, I don’t think this technically qualifies as a ballet. There are no point shoes and I don’t think the pair dances are technically pas de deux, but it’s very obvious the dancers have ballet training just from how they move and how they emote. I don’t think this is all that uncommon in dancing (dancers strike me as very versatile, as most artists are. You almost have to have multiple tools in your toolbox so to speak. For example, I’m a fantasy author by trade, but I can dabble in other forms of writing too.).
Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella is set in wartime London and it’s a very unique twist on the story of Cinderella. It’s actually one I really enjoy. It opens on a very dreary scene, done entirely in grays and whites (with some splashes of black). Cinderella lives with her wheelchair bound father, her stepmother, and siblings. They’re all quite kooky and colorful in their own way. Everything about the house is a little off kilter. The stepmother looks like Cruella DeVille, which I found rather hilarious.
The production follows the usual beats of the story, except a few key characters have been changed. There is no royalty in this play. The Prince has been replaced by a dashing RAF pilot, who is shown early on to be suffering from PTSD (yes, Matthew Bourne has made Cinderella a wartime romance). But my personal favorite change is the fairy godmother has been replaced with the most flamboyant angel ever seen on stage. I mean, just look at this fabulous angel:
It’s Cinderella and he straight up steals the show.
He’s like, “Girl, let’s find you a dashing pilot.” (The angel is so delightfully camp. I love him.)
The period costume is beautiful and the colors really pop at the ball. Only Cinderella is dressed in hues of gray (in her white and silver). Once the Blitz starts, it’s violent and loud, there are people in gas masks and there’s a real sense of peril. The desperation of the Pilot to find Cinderella is palpable as he traverses war-torn London.
Even though this isn’t technically a ballet, it’s still a really beautiful telling of Cinderella. I have a real soft spot for this classic story because at it’s heart, Cinderella is a story about kindness. Yes, there are some outdated aspects of the story, but overall, the main character is always kind. I was really happy that Matthew Bourne kept this aspect of her character and even highlighted it. His Cinderella is a kind girl in a world ravaged by the horrors of war, but she remains hopeful for a better tomorrow. She’s brave and determined and in the end, rewarded.
This might be one of my favorite retellings of Cinderella just because of how unique and fun it is. Highly recommended.
For more information on this production, check out Matthew Bourne’s company’s official page on it: https://www.new-adventures.net/cinderella#overview
If you enjoy my writing and want to help me experience my own Cinderella type story (minus a flamboyant angel), please consider donating to my fundraiser: https://ko-fi.com/laurenjankowski/goal?g=4