Sleeping Beauty Sheffield Lyceum until tomorrow

In the last of Bourne’s three Tchaikovsky ballets, he paints a very dark gothic fairy tale, including some added bite from the vampire legend.

Fairies, magic and mystery take the storyline closer to the original, while adding some flourishes from his own fantastical imagination.

Bourne sets the piece in three eras — 1890, 1911 and present day.

The love story between Aurora, beautifully danced with poise and perfection by Ashley Shaw, and Leo the Royal Gamekeeper, a delightfully charming Chris Trenfield, who have both grown up together before he magically transforms into an angel of the night, makes the whole romantic tale credible.

Bourne makes Aurora a wilful Wild Child — as a baby she is portrayed by a captivatingly realistic puppet — and inserts vampirism into the mix to solve the problem of a love that somehow has to span 100 years before being reawakened with a kiss.  

Lez Brotherston’s foreboding set, filled with iron-wrought gates and gold gilded columns, provides a framework for a tale of mystery.

The change from gloomy 1890 interior to a sunlit Edwardian party on the lawn and the dancing at Aurora's coming-of-age party is beautifully realised.

Paule Constable’s lighting design convey layers of atmosphere to compliment the roar and thunder of the music.

Recorded specifically for the show under the baton of Brett Morris, the great composer’s music is as rich and vibrant as you will hear.

Adam Maskell is devilish in the joint role of the evil queen, Carabosse, and Caradoc, her villainous son.

Clark, all Hammer horror Dracula as Caradoc, provides a counterpoint to the more free-flowing aspects of other characters, while Liam Mower shines as he stylishly brings a splash of colour and gothic romanticism — and a neat fairy denim jacket — to the role of Count Lilac, the King of the Fairies.

Shaw is outstanding, with a captivating sense of delicious naivety.

Ensemble members who perform as puppeteers throughout deserve special mention, especially for creating a dreamy floating Aurora.

Bourne’s rhythms and routines are sensual and seductive throughout Tchaikovsky’s movements and show why he has become one of the great storytellers of dance theatre.

Many in the audience were up on their feet at the end to herald a crowd-pleasing classic Bourne production which made for an extremely enjoyable night in the theatre — despite a predictable “happy ever after” finale.