WAB brings new ‘Beauty & the Beast’ to Perth

The West Australian Ballet (WAB) will soon present David Nixon’s Beauty & the Beast at His Majesty’s Theatre. Set for May 13-28, this will be the first time this production, which was called a “triumphant success” by The Telegraph, will be presented in Australia.

David Nixon, the artistic director of the U.K.’s Northern Ballet since 2001, created his version of Beauty & the Beast in 2012. About two hours in duration, the ballet takes place in a land far away in a strange forest. While not quite the simplified Disney story some remember, the tale still does follow an ugly creature (the Beast) and his quest to make a maiden (Beauty) fall in love with him.

Audiences are invited to enter the world of fairies, goblins and magic mirrors in this immortal story brought to life by choreographer David Nixon. It features music by Camille Saint-Saëns, Georges Bizet, Claude Debussy, Francis Poulenc and Alexander Glazunov performed live, with all orchestration and arrangement by John Longstaff. The stunning sets are by Duncan Hayler and the extravagant costumes are by Julie Anderson.

Lothian Life’s review stated, “Nixon’s vision for this piece, realised by his extraordinarily creative team, has resulted in a gorgeous visual and musical feast. Highly recommended for fairy story lovers of all ages.”

To see why Kelly Apter with The Scotsman christened the show “a complete sensory knockout”, book your tickets at waballet.com.au. Note that the WAB is hosting various special festivities around this show, including a Pre-Performance Talk on May 24 and Story-Time Saturdays on May 21 and 28.

To see Northern Ballet dancers in the premiere of Beauty & the Beast at Leeds Grand Theatre in December 2012, watch below.

Photo: Northern Ballet dancers in Beauty & the Beast. Photo by Bill Cooper.