Matthew Bourne's Olivier Award-Winning CINDERELLA returns for 30th anniversary
New Adventures has announced that Matthew Bourne’s CINDERELLA will return for an extensive 2026-2027 UK tour in celebration of its 30th anniversary.
The tour will open at Theatre Royal Plymouth on 16 November before playing in Salford, ahead of the annual Christmas season at Sadler’s Wells, marking New Adventures’ 24th Christmas season at the venue. CINDERELLA will then embark on an extensive tour for 2027, with tour venues and casting to be announced soon.
One of New Adventures’ most popular and beloved productions, Matthew Bourne’s CINDERELLA is a thrilling and evocative love story, set in London during the Second World War. This epic interpretation of the classic fairytale, has, at its heart, a true war-time romance. A chance meeting results in a magical night for Cinderella and her dashing young RAF pilot, together just long enough to fall in love before being parted by the horrors of the Blitz.
Matthew Bourne said: “Nearly thirty years ago, our Cinderella became the first (and only) ballet ever to premiere directly in the West End of London, starring Adam Cooper, Sarah Wildor, Will Kemp and Lynn Seymour. Apart from a triumphant run in Los Angeles in 1999, it did not go on its first UK Tour until the production was completely revised, with spectacular new design, lighting and surround-sound in 2010.
“This story has always held a very special place in my heart. My parents were both children of the London Blitz, living streets apart from each other in the bomb-battered East End. It’s also a tribute to the spirit and resilience of my hometown but mostly it’s about love, the power of love to transcend troubled times and give hope for a better future. In fact, this could be the show that we all need right now. I look forward to welcoming you all to the Ball later this year.”
With Lez Brotherston’s glorious Olivier Award-winning designs, lighting by Olivier Award-winning Neil Austin and video and projection designs by Duncan McLean, CINDERELLA features sensational sound design by Paul Groothuis which will take the audience into the heart of Prokofiev’s magnificent score, and the sights and sounds of war-torn London.
CINDERELLA is both a tribute and a testament to the spirit of London during a time when every second counted and lives were changed forever. Bourne's vivid storytelling has never been more heart-stopping and touching, creating a unique and unforgettable depiction of a familiar but timeless fable.