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Covent Garden

Cinderella

Cinderella

Collections: Ballet , Central London , Cinema & Theatre , Covent Garden & Holborn , December Guide , Family Outing , Little Ones Approved , Music & Concert , Royal Opera House

Covent Garden, Central London | Ballet | £10-£190

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3 December 2024–16 January 2025

Address: Royal Opera House, Bow St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD | Get Directions
Telephone: +44 20 7304 4000

This enchanting ballet by The Royal Ballet’s Founding Choreographer Frederick Ashton is a theatrical experience for all the family this Christmas. 

YOU SHALL GO TO THE BALL

Stuck at home and put to work by her spoiled Step-Sisters, Cinderella’s life is dreary and dull. Everything changes when she helps a mysterious woman out... 

With a little bit of magic, she is transported into an ethereal new world – one where fairies bring the gifts of the seasons, where pumpkins turn into carriages, and where true love awaits. 

A milestone ballet

In 1939, Frederick Ashton first began to consider creating a full-length work, the Company's first three-act ballet. At the time, it seemed like the obvious next step for British ballet. The idea was shelved during the war but in 1946, Ashton returned urgently to it. Inspired by other balletic adaptations of Cinderella coming out of Russia, Ashton chose to create his own version of Charles Perrault’s famous rags-to-riches story. Set to Prokofiev’s exquisite score, the ballet received its premiere in 1948, featuring Moira Shearer and Michael Somes in the lead roles. 

A world where dreams blossom 

The designs of this production of Cinderella are heavily influenced by nature and flowers. As the Fairy Godmother and the Seasons’ fairies come into Cinderella’s world, the muted tones of the family living room are taken over by a burst of colour. The creative team behind the exquisite world of Cinderella includes set designer Tom Pye (My Neighbour Totoro, Olivier award for Best Set Design), costume designer Alexandra Byrne (Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Academy Award for Best Costume Design), lighting designer David Finn (Brokeback Mountain), video designer Finn Ross (Les Miserables, Frozen) and illusions by Chris Fisher (Harry Potter and The Cursed Child).  

Join us for our exclusive Insights: Magic and Myth in Opera and Ballet with excerpts from three of the productions that light up the Main Stage this festive period.

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