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GREAT PERFORMANCES: The Red Shoes

Company of “The Red Shoes.” Experience this dark fairytale from Matthew Bourne with this Olivier Award-winning stage adaptation.  
Courtesy of Johan Persson
Company of “The Red Shoes.” Experience this dark fairytale from Matthew Bourne with this Olivier Award-winning stage adaptation.  

Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 2 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with KPBS Passport!

From Tony Award-winning choreographer and director Matthew Bourne and British dance company New Adventures, GREAT PERFORMANCES "The Red Shoes" is a stage adaptation of the classic 1948 feature film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

Experience Hans Christian Andersen’s dark fairytale from acclaimed director-choreographer Matthew Bourne with this Olivier Award-winning stage adaptation starring Ashley Shaw, Adam Cooper, Dominic North and Michaela Meazza.

Recorded at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre in January 2020, the ballet recounts Hans Christian Andersen’s original tale of obsession, possession and one girl’s dream to be the greatest dancer in the world.

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Victoria Page (Ashley Shaw)
Johan Persson
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Victoria Page (Ashley Shaw)

Victoria Page (Ashley Shaw) lives to dance, but her ambitions create a battleground between the two men who inspire her passion: composer Julian Craster (Dominic North) and impresario Boris Lermontov (Adam Cooper).

Julian Craster (Dominic North)
Johan Persson
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Thirteen
Julian Craster (Dominic North)

The production also features Michela Meazza as Irina Boronskaya, Liam Mower as Ivan Boleslawsky and Glenn Graham as Grischa Ljubov. Set to the music of golden-age Hollywood composer Bernard Herrmann,

GREAT PERFORMANCES “The Red Shoes” is orchestrated by Terry Davies and performed by the New Adventures Orchestra with set and costumes by Tony-winning designer Lez Brotherson and lighting by Tony winner Paule Constable.

Listen to director Matthew Bourne as he explains how he incorporated dance into this stage adaptation of "The Red Shoes." Based on the iconic film by the same name, Bourne chose to fully immerse the audience into the world of the dancers by integrating dance into every aspect of the show.

Watch On Your Schedule: This episode is available to stream now with KPBS Passport, a member benefit that unlocks exclusive shows and extra content on the PBS App.

Enjoy highlights from Matthew Bourne's "The Red Shoes." Based on the film by the same name, "The Red Shoes" follows Victoria Page (Ashley Shaw) as her ambitions to be a famous dancer create a battleground between the two men who inspire her passion: Composer Julian Craster (Dominic North) and impresario Boris Lermontov (Adam Cooper).

Credits: An Illuminations/New Adventures production for BBC in association with The WNET Group. Directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, based on the film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. Directed for the screen by Ross MacGibbon and produced by Lucie Conrad; John Wyver is executive producer. For GREAT PERFORMANCES: Bill O’Donnell is series producer and David Horn is executive producer.

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