Dancing on the Edge of Obsession: Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes Comes to Nottingham

Written by Katie Barr

When The Red Shoes arrives at Theatre Royal Nottingham this February, it brings with it not only the intoxicating allure of dance but the return of one of Matthew Bourne’s most personal and celebrated creations. As part of a major 2026 UK tour, New Adventures’ double Olivier Award-winning production visits Nottingham from Tuesday 3rd to Saturday 7th February, marking a long-awaited comeback after the tour’s premature cancellation in 2020. 

Inspired by Micheal Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s landmark 1948 film, itself rooted in Hans Christian Andersen’s haunting fairytale, The Red Shoes explores the intoxicating pull of ambition and the cost of artistic obsession. At its heart is Victoria Page, a young dancer whose life is consumed by her desire to become the greatest ballerina in the world. Her dream draws her into the orbit of two powerful influences: impresario Boris Lermontov and composer Julian Craster, setting the stage for an emotional struggle between love, creativity and control. 

For Bourne, this production represents the culmination of a two-decade ambition to translate the film’s rich cinematic language into dance theatre. First premiered in 2016 to sell-out audiences, the production quickly established itself as a defining work within the New Adventures repertoire, winning Best Entertainment at the 2017 Olivier Awards, alongside Bourne’s award for Best Theatre Choreographer. Now, almost ten years on, The Red Shoes returns offering audiences a rare opportunity to see the work renewed yet deeply rooted in its original vision. 

Adding to the sense of occasion is the return of eleven members of the original cast, reprising old roles they created. Bourne has described this as a moment ‘no New Adventures fan will want to miss’. The Nottingham performances will feature multiple cast combinations, with dancers including Ashley Shaw, Cordelia Braithwaite, Hannah Kremer and Hannah Saw sharing the role of Victoria Page, and Andy Monaghan and Reece Causton alternating as the formidable Lermontov. 

Visually, the production promises to be as sumptuous as it is emotionally charged. Lez Brotherston’s designs evoke both the glamour and severity of the ballet world, shifting seamlessly between rehearsal rooms, theatres and the heightened fantasy of performance. Paule Constable’s lighting and Paul Groothuis’s sound design further enhance the sense of a world where art and life blur dangerously together. 

Beyond the narrative, The Red Shoes also stands as a love letter to theatre and dance itself. Bourne has spoken of the production as deeply personal, reflecting a lifetime spent in the rehearsal room and on stage. That affection for the art form is matched by New Adventures’ ongoing commitment to nurturing talent, with a significant proportion of the touring cast having come through  the company’s development programmes. 

As it prepares to take over the stage at Theatre Royal Nottingham, The Red Shoes offers audiences the chance to experience an intoxicating blend of storytelling, choreography and design. This is not simply a revival, but a homecoming for a modern classic. One that invites viewers to step into a world where the thrill of performance is inseparable from its consequences. 

Tickets are on sale for the Nottingham showing here, make sure to grab them while you can! Not in Nottingham? Check out other venues of the tour now. 

 All content is original to The Literary Lounge.

In-article images credited to Johan Persson. No changes were made to these images. 

Featured Image credited to New Adventures production.

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