A Festival of Classics

Posted on April 17, 2020

New Adventures has announced A Festival of Classics as part of their Reel Adventures online programme, which includes a series of broadcast premieres on Sky TV and rare screenings of some of Matthew Bourne’s best-known productions.

On April 19 at 8pm, Sky Arts will be screening the broadcast premiere of Bourne’s Swan Lake, recently updated and filmed live at Sadler’s Wells during the 2018­-2019 tour.  A week later, on April 26, at 8pm, Sky Arts will host the broadcast premiere of Bourne’s latest production, Romeo and Juliet, which had its world premiere in 2019 and was filmed live at Sadler’s Wells last August. Finally, on May 3, at 8pm again, Sky Arts will re-screen The Car Man, which was filmed live at Sadler’s Wells in 2015.

Cordelia Braithwaite and Paris Fitzpatrick in Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet. Photograph: Johan Persson.

In addition to the broadcasts, Reel Adventures offers a different activity for every day of the week: “Motivational Monday”, “Tune in Tuesdays”, “Pro Wednesdays”, “Vintage Adventures”, “Feature Fridays”, “Workshop Weekends” and “Sunday Sessions”. The programme includes a live company class once a week – led by New Adventures artists and open to everyone, creative tasks for children, live Q&As, as well as access to behind-the-scenes and rarely seen footage from the company’s archive, curated and introduced by Bourne. For full details, click here.

Bourne said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support from our dedicated community of friends and followers. It’s important, now more than ever, that we stay connected with each other whilst we navigate what is an incredibly challenging time for us all… At a time when none of us are able to enjoy a live performance at our local theatre we’re delighted to be able to reach audiences through their TV. Huge thanks go to Sky Arts and all those involved in creating these films for making this possible at such short notice.”

Pictured: Will Bozier as The Swan with the ensemble in Swan Lake. Photograph: Johan Persson.

Nicola Rayner

Nicola Rayner was editor of Dance Today from 2010 to 2015. She has written for a number of publications including The Guardian, The Independent and Time Out Buenos Aires, where she cut her teeth as a dance journalist working on the tango section. Today she continues to dance everything from ballroom to breakdance, with varying degrees of success. Her debut novel, The Girl Before You, was published last year in paperback, ebook and audiobook.