If you’re after a little magic this October, then step inside the Liverpool Empire and prepare to be transported. English National Ballet are bringing Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s The Sleeping Beauty to town, and it’s an evening that promises pure wonder.
We all know the story – Princess Aurora cursed at birth by the deliciously wicked Carabosse, doomed to prick her finger on her 16th birthday. But thanks to the Lilac Fairy’s intervention, death is swapped for a hundred years of slumber until true love’s kiss does the trick. It’s a tale of light against darkness, told through dance, music and spectacle that will have you grinning like a child again.
MacMillan’s The Sleeping Beauty is no dusty museum piece. Yes, he keeps faith with Petipa’s grand original, but what he adds is his own flair for drama. Every gesture matters here – Aurora’s wide-eyed engagement with her suitors, the Lilac Fairy’s quiet but commanding presence, Carabosse’s creeping menace. This is ballet with real emotional punch.
And then there’s the sheer visual feast. Sets and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis and Peter Farmer shimmer with Fabergé-like opulence – think powdered wigs, pannier skirts, and then a sweeping shift into the elegance of the 19th century. It’s the kind of staging that makes you gasp when the curtain rises.
Of course, none of it would soar without the music, and what music it is: Tchaikovsky at his most lyrical and sweeping, performed live by the English National Ballet Philharmonic. If the dancing doesn’t sweep you away, the score most certainly will.
Critics often talk about The Sleeping Beauty as the ballet that shows MacMillan at his most generous – respecting tradition, yes, but giving it fresh blood and dramatic fire. It’s been hailed as spellbinding wherever it travels, and now Liverpool gets its turn to fall under the spell.
So here’s the thing: whether you’re a ballet regular or stepping into this world for the first time, The Sleeping Beauty is one of those shows that reminds you why theatre matters. It dazzles the eye, it stirs the soul, and it lingers long after the curtain falls.
Catch it while you can – this is fairytale magic, Liverpool style!
English National Ballet – The Sleeping Beauty
Thursday 23 -Saturday 25 October 2025
Liverpool Empire Theatre
Tickets
