Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes

Sadler’s Wells, London
December 9, 2025

No one has yet made a ballet film as good as The Red Shoes. So, while it had long been an ambition of his, it was a bold move by Matthew Bourne to tackle a stage version of the great Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger 1948 classic. The result, as he admits, is something of a “personal love letter to a life in theatre and dance.”

Created in 2016, Bourne’s production has won numerous awards both for choreography and Lez Brotherston’s memorable set and costume design. With its themes of obsession, possession and the dancing dreams of young Victoria Page, it’s easy to see why it has become an audience favourite.

There is a lot of dancing but it does feel like one big number after another at times. And the choreography within them is very busy, to the point that individual characters are frequently overshadowed by intense unison movement. It also at times feels repetitive, although it does work within the dramatic context and the choice of Bernard Hermann compositions for the score, which are all a surprisingly good fit.

While Bourne’s production follows the film closely, there are omissions, and some knowledge of the latter undoubtedly helps understanding. While it is undoubtedly true that it’s easier to convey nuance in film than in dance, where things invariably take longer to set out, some of what is in the movie. For example, here, Lermantov is enamoured of Page immediately when the audition could have slotted easily into the company rehearsal as in the original.

Some characters are also not really rounded out, notably Craster. Understandably, Bourne chooses to ignore the original film and the plot about his plagiarised music, introducing him when he is already working with Lermontov’s company when Vicky Page joins. But there is then no space allowed for Page and Craster to develop their relationship as the production is crammed with mini ballets. While finely choreographed in and of themselves, they feel long and do not allow the plot to progress. It is also unclear that Lermantov’s anger builds during their relationship so that when the pair are sacked, it feels rather startling.

Ashley Shaw is an excellent Page, however, her delicious acting skills conveying perfectly her dilemma. But what a pity Bourne does not give her the opportunity to dance with the ‘newspaper man’ in the ballet within the ballet.

Brotherston’s set and costumes are terrific. The device of the rotating proscenium arch is perfect for enabling the viewer to observe and understand the onstage and backstage worlds, and is used especially effectively at the end. Just one quibble though. Whilst very dramatic, the locomotive owes more to the Canadian Pacific than the SNCF Pacifics that hauled Le Train Bleu.

This Red Shoes continues to send most people home happy. But it’s not a patch on the original film.