A visual, musical, and balletic feast of talent and creativity
Presented by The Australian Ballet
Reviewed 23 July 2025
Based on the centuries-old folk tale popularised by Charles Perrault, The Sleeping Beauty has been a pillar of the ballet canon since its first iteration in 1890.
Originally choreographed by the great Marius Petipa, it has had several reimaginings, with our own David McAllister premiering his take in 2015. And it is this production that The Australian Ballet has brought to Adelaide.
The Sleeping Beauty is a glorious, classical, uber-balletic, confection. The longest of the three written by Tchaikovsky, the score has been expertly trimmed by Nicolette Fraillon, from its original four hours to just under three, including intervals. On opening night, this music was delivered with joy and precision by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, under the expert baton of Musical Director Jonathan Lo. The only minor complaint is that the triangle (of all the instruments!) was often too loud, sounding almost like an intrusive ring-tone, rather than the tinkling fairy bells it was supposed to represent.
Being a huge production, almost the entire company seems to be involved, with revolving casts dancing across three cities. Opening night saw Jill Ogai as Princess Aurora, Marcus Morelli as Prince Désiré, Katherine Sonnekus as Carabosse, and Rina Nemoto as Lilac Fairy. Grand Ballet such as this was designed to provide a framework within which various dancers could be showcased, making the production essentially a series of dances in various formations. This provides great opportunities for Senior Artists and Soloists to take centre stage: a vital element of the work of The Australian Ballet in training and mentoring new talent. Once again this company showed why it is one of the best in the world, with every dancer bringing their A game.
Above all, as dance is primarily a visual medium, this production is an all-you-can-eat banquet for the eyes. Czech artist Gabriela Tylesova based her design on a Baroque town near Prague. The set and costumes are the stuff of every child’s fairy-tale dreams.
If you are a ballet newbie then The Sleeping Beauty may be the perfect introduction for you. And for hardened ballet tragics, it provides everything one could want, and more. The Australian Ballet is one of our cultural icons, and deserves every accolade it garners.
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Photo credit: Jonathan van der Knaap
Venue: Adelaide Festival Theatre
Season: Till 29 July
Duration: 2 hours 50 minutes including two 20 minute intervals
Tickets: $86 – $245 (plus booking fee)
Bookings: https://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/tab-the-sleeping-beauty
