This spring, The Royal Ballet celebrates the 75th anniversary of Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella with a brand-new production of the much-loved ballet. On Wednesday 12 April 2023, the work will be broadcast live to 977 cinemas in 19 countries, bringing Cinderella’s ethereal world of fairy godmothers and pumpkin carriages to audiences around the world.
Ashton’s adaptation of a fairytale classic received its premiere on 23 December 1948, starring Royal Ballet dancers Moira Shearer and Michael Somes in the lead roles. The production, which reworked Charles Perrault’s famous rags-to-riches story, was received rapturously and seen as a compelling showcase of both the choreographer’s musicality and Sergey Prokofiev’s transcendent score.
After over a decade away from the Royal Opera House stage, the ballet is returning to Covent Garden, redesigned by an award-winning creative team steeped in theatre, film, dance and opera. The list of creatives includes set designer Tom Pye, Oscar-winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne, lighting designer David Finn, video designer Finn Ross and illusionist Chris Fisher.
The cinema broadcast on Wednesday 12 April 2023 will star Principal dancers Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov. Encore screenings will run from Sunday 16 April 2023.
Our cinema programme has brought opera and ballet to audiences across the globe since 2008. For the 2022/23 Season, an astonishing 13 productions from The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera will be broadcast to more than 1,300 cinemas from the UK all the way to New Zealand. Each broadcast offers audiences the best seat in the house, and includes exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and insights into the rehearsal process. The programme forms an integral part of our plan to secure our future, expand audiences and continue to help facilitate the vital recovery of cinema domestically and internationally.
