Matthew Bourne has achieved spectacular worldwide fame for his classical ballet adaptations.“Cinderella”, a new ballet by Matthew, is now staging at the SAIC-Shanghai Culture Square for 10 days to show the audience the famed romantic fairy story now set during World War II.

[photo/Douban]

In Matthew’s view, it seems that Cinderella was born in the “Darkest Hour”. During World War II, London was bomb-wrecked. People seemed to fall in love more easily, however, and seized the day since they couldn’t predict what would happen the next second. Equally, Cinderella was always racing against time trying to catch every minute of happiness before midnight. That’s the reason why the fairytale prince turns into a wounded British Royal Air Force pilot and finally enjoys a happy ending with Cinderella after going through dangers in Matthew’s version.

Besides, it’s worth mentioning that Matthew’s grandparents witnessed that war and Matthew named two roles of the ballet after them. From them, Matthew learned that London’s citizens were united tightly at that time just as Churchill said in one of his famous speeches. In this case, the adapted story itself runs through four main themes of “family, conflict, time, life & death” in memory of London’s darkest hour. What’s more, with Lez Brotherston's sumptuous costumes and sets, such as Cinderella’s grey shirts and the shadows of St Paul’s Cathedral, which won an Olivier Award, a war-torn London is recreated on the stage. In a manner of speaking, this show combines ballet, musical, and movie all at the same time.

Over the years, Matthew and his team, New Adventures, have been sticking to the same ideal – bringing once famous classical dance back to life in the modern era. His ballets have become great hits such as “Swan Lake” totally performed by male dancers and “Sleeping Beauty” in Gothic style. No matter what the critics say, Matthew’s work is always one of the most popular shows in Britain.