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The Birmingham Royal Ballet perform the London premiere of the Carl Davis's scored Aladdin at the Coliseum from Wednesday 20 March 2013.
The Birmingham Royal Ballet bring Aladdin, a tale of love, trickery and triumph, to the London stage for the first time, with a series of shows at the Coliseum from Wednesday 20 to Sunday 24 March 2013.
Created for the National Ballet of Japan in 2008, Aladdin is choreographed by Birmingham Royal Ballet Director David Bintley, the creator of the Company’s award-winning Cinderella and numerous other hits including Edward II and Far from the Madding Crowd.
The score for Aladdin is written by Carl Davis. Most famous for his TV and film scores, including the BAFTA winning score The French Lieutenant's Woman and the 1995 Pride and Prejudice, Davis was first commissioned to write the music by the Scottish Ballet in 2001. Davis's score has since been revised and updated and new music was written especially for David Bintley's National Ballet of Japan world premiere in 2008.
The ballet begins with Aladdin arguing with Palace guards, an altercation that leads the young tearaway into a whirlwind of adventure and romance, involving unbelievable riches, love, treachery, and of course that magic lamp.
Duped into helping an evil Maghrib, Aladdin finds himself trapped in a cave for three days and nights, with no light and nothing to eat. But it is only when he attempts to light the old lamp he’s found, that his real adventure begins! Picture: Roy Smiljanic
Nao Sakuma dances the role of Aladdin's love Princess Badr al-Budur with Cesar Morales in the lead role and Jonathan Payn as The Sultan. Picture: Bill Cooper
Aladdin is another production from the Birmingham Royal Ballet that all the family - from the youngest to the oldest - can enjoy. The Company are performing a family-friendly matinee at the Coliseum at 1pm on Sunday 24 March.
The set designs for the Birmingham Royal Ballet's Aladdin are by Dick Bird who has designed numerous theatre, opera, ballet, TV and film productions for, amongst others, the Barbican, Opera North, ENO, Royal Court Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre, Young Vic and Crucible Theatre.
BAFTA nominated Sue Blane designed the spectacular costumes for Aladdin. Sue, who studied costume design at Wolverhampton College of Art and Central School of Art and Design, is best known for her costume designs for the iconic The Rocky Horror Show and The Rocky Horror Picture Show by Richard O’Brien.