Matthew Bourne said: “The Red Shoes was the culmination of a twenty-year ambition to bring Powell and Pressburger's seminal 1948 film to the stage. It was also, in many ways, a personal love letter to a life in theatre and dance. When we created the show in 2016, we were not prepared for the overwhelming response from audiences everywhere we went both at home and internationally. The production went on to win two Olivier Awards and was honoured by the LA Critics Awards for both choreography and for Lez Brotherston’s memorable set and costume design."
Tickets from £15, book early as I expect this show will be popular. To book, please click here.
Pre-theatre F&B will be at Attica Greek restaurant, 10 mins walk from the theatre. Click here for menu and address. I booked a table for eight. So far, seven seats have been taken. Please email swcsocialATgmailDOTcom if you wish to attend the dinner before 25th Nov. Due to the festive season, I may not be able to change the number if the restaurant is fully booked.
Interval meeting place: foyer outside Second Circle.
2 comments:
Several have booked, some in First Circle Row C, others in Second Circle Row F
N=8 walkers gathered at Attica, a revamped yet long-established Greek restaurant serving authentic Greek cuisine. We came here after our first choice—the gastro pub opposite that we visited last year—was fully booked. After a bit of research, we discovered this little gem, recommended back in 2023 in the Observer by the renowned food critic Jay Rayner.
Overall, the food was very well received, with the exception of one diner who found the moussaka slightly lukewarm. Even so, it’s definitely a place we’d return to—though next time we might suggest a little extra heat for what was otherwise a perfectly cooked dish.
Moving on to the show itself: if you’ve seen any of Matthew Bourne’s productions before, you’ll know that innovation and uniqueness are always guaranteed, capturing both emotions and imagination. This one was no exception. As always, nothing quite matches the entertainment provided by our very own critics.
‘A lovely evening, great Greek food, and the dance and choreography was stunning.’
‘Not being a natural dance fan, I enjoyed this much more than expected. Visually very inventive, with brilliant changes of scenery. The dance was a nice mix of ballet and more modern styles. At the end I was surprised by how few dancers there were in the troop: they gave the impression of being much more numerous. There must have been some very rapid backstage costume changes.’
‘It was a lovely evening. I thought the ballet was very atmospheric.’
‘I loved the creativity of the production and seeing and hearing so many different forms of talent. Dark and edgy yet joyful and funny.’
‘ I thought the choreography was very good. Enjoyed the different styles of dance - eg the Sand Dance.’
‘ I love all his productions, they are so inventive and always original.’
‘I thought it was a brilliant production and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very cleverly and inventively staged with lots of references to various styles of dancing and to some famous characters from the world of ballet. There were some delightfully funny scenes like the music-hall numbers or the beach scene but also some deeply moving sequences like the episode towards the end with the two main characters before she leaves him. Very cleverly staged altogether. And I particularly love Matthew Bourne's humour which is always present in his productions.'
'One final point worth mentioning is the story’s tragic ending. The leading ballerina resolves her internal conflict between love and career by throwing herself in front of a moving train. This feels deeply unsatisfactory—particularly coming from someone like Matthew Bourne, who is renowned for thinking outside the box. In this instance, it seems he has paradoxically confined himself within one.'
And that wraps up our social events for 2025. Thank you for the great company, stimulating discussions, and thoroughly enjoyable evenings. Until next year! …..
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