Choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne’s version of the classic fairytale Cinderella comes to Canterbury this week.

One of his most-loved productions, the interpretation is set in London during the Second World War.

A chance meeting results in a magical night for Cinderella and her dashing RAF pilot, who are able to snatch enough time together to fall in love before being parted by the horrors of the Blitz. The vivid storytelling takes the audience into the heart of Prokofiev’s score, and the sights and sounds of war-torn London.

Sir Matthew said: “Lurking beneath the fairytale magic, there beats a darker heart with real emotions and dramatic longing. Prokofiev’s Cinderella was premiered at the Bolshoi in 1946, but I was intrigued to hear that Prokofiev had actually written the score during the Second World War, and this got me thinking. Was this dark period in our history, somehow captured within the music?

“I felt that it was, and the more I delved into the Cinderella story, it seemed to work so well in the wartime setting. Darkly romantic in tone, it speaks of a period when time was everything, love was found and lost suddenly and the world danced as if there was no tomorrow.”

The show is performed with a commissioned recording by a 60-piece orchestra.

DETAILS

Cinderella by Sir Matthew Bourne is at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury from Tuesday, May 22 until Saturday, May 26. For tickets, priced from £23.75, call 01227 787787, or visit marlowetheatre.com.