A Beauty of a Ballet: Northern Ballet’s Beauty & the Beast returns to theatres

Beauty & The Beast

Northern Ballet

Touring to Nottingham Theatre Royal, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Norwich Theatre Royal, Leeds Grand Theatre

October to 25 November 2023, 4-9 June 2024

Giuliano Contadini as the Prince and Dreda Blow as Beauty in Beauty & the Beast. Photo Emma Kauldhar (2) (1) — Giuliano Contadini as the Prince and Dreda Blow as Beauty in Beauty & the Beast. Photo Emma Kauldhar

Production Credits

Choreography, Direction and Costume Design David Nixon CBE, Set Design Duncan Hayler, Lighting Design Tim Mitchell, Costume Design Assistant Julie Anderson, Music Arranger John Longstaff

Northern Ballet is one of the UK’s leading and widest touring ballet companies. Bold and innovative in its approach, Northern Ballet is prolific at creating new full-length work with a unique blend of strong classical technique and impressive storytelling. Northern Ballet’s repertoire embraces popular culture and takes inspiration from literature, legend, opera and the classics, pushing the boundaries of what stories can be told through dance.

A champion for the cultural exports of the North, Leeds-based Northern Ballet is dedicated to bringing ballet to as many people and places as possible, under the leadership of Artistic Director Federico Bonelli. Northern Ballet’s Company of dancers performs a combination of its full-length ballets and specially created ballets for children at more than 40 venues annually.

Audiences can also enjoy Northern Ballet’s work on screen through their digital dance platform. Visit digitaldance.org to discover more.

Choreographed by David Nixon CBE, this enchanting reimagining of the classic fairytale premiered in 2011 to critical acclaim and was last performed by the Company in 2016.

Beauty & the Beast tells the story of Beauty who selflessly leaves her family to live with a hideous Beast in his castle in exchange for her father’s life. As time goes by, she grows strangely fond of her host and discovers he hides an extraordinary secret. He was once a handsome prince cursed for his vanity and arrogance, a curse that can only be broken by true love.