The Red Shoes, Birmingham Hippodrome - review and pictures

It was truly a sight to behold, and so much more than just a simple ballet.

Brought to life by the incredibly talented Sir Bourne, this stunning show sets the Hans Christian Anderson tale of The Red Shoes in the late 1940s; casting a spell upon the crowd, taking them on a whirlwind journey of emotion and tragedy.

It is also based around the 1948 film starring Moira Shearer.

The story tells the tale of a young girl, Victoria Page, whose life's ambition is to dance. She catches the eye of ballet impresario Boris Lermontov, who has an all-or-nothing obsession with the artform. But Victoria falls for a composer by the name of Julian Craster and she is left with an ultimatum: she must choose between love and dance.

As is always the case with Bourne productions, the sets and costumes in this performance were tremendous - each created with incredible, impressive detail, sparing no expense.

And the set changes, which were a huge part of the excitement and rhythm of the ballet, were so smooth and efficient, the show ran like an alluring, enchanting film.

Taking on the lead role of Victoria was the beautiful Ashley Shaw, whose intricate, amazing movements were seemingly effortless. Throughout her jaw-dropping performance, Ashley seemed impossibly weightless; her delicate motions perfectly capturing the fragility, youth and determination of the headstrong lead.

Her dancing and acting was so impressive, in fact, that she seemed to cast a spell on the crowd; hypnotising the audience with her strong, yet delicate leaps and turns and heart-wrenching expressions.

See a trailer of the show here:

It also appeared she did not even need to look as she flung herself into the arms of the other dancers - each and every move from the company was so smooth, it was almost as if they were born to perform the show.

Playing the part of Boris Lermontov was the incredible Sam Archer, whose spins and jumps were smooth and effortless. His portrayal of the dark, demanding, macabre character was simply excellent.

Another highlight of the show was the excellent Chris Trenfield, who played the part of Victoria's lover and professional composer Julian Craster. His rapport with fellow dancer Ashley Shaw was fantastic. The emotion portrayed between the two - whether they were embracing or fighting - could be felt like electricity through the crowd; making the tragic ending all the more painful.

This ballet needed no explanation or description - all of the emotion was excellently conveyed to the crowd, whose mouths were left constantly ajar by the sublime spectacle.

The entire show was faultless from start to end - and a real tribute to the skill of the phenomenal company, and a fantastic display of the tremendous talent of Sir Matthew Bourne.

It returns to Birmingham Hippodrome this summer - and I, for one, cannot wait to see it again.

The show will run again from July 19.

Be red or dead.

By Kirsten Rawlins