Sea change for Northern Ballet

Posted on January 6, 2014

Northern Ballet has changed the programme for its visit to Edinburgh in March, following a shortage of ships.

The company will tour A Midsummer Night’s Dream to China this month, and had planned to take the production back to the UK for performances in Edinburgh. Unfortunately, the set and costumes won’t make it home in time. Instead, the company will dance David Nixon’s new, Russian-themed production of Cinderella.

Mark Skipper, Northern Ballet’s chief executive, explains: “We had been advised that there was sufficient shipping time to return the sets and costumes to the UK for our performances in Edinburgh. We have now been informed that this will no longer be possible, due to lack of availability of ships coming from China to Europe during that period. Unfortunately, reservations on such vessels can only be made two months in advance.

“I am very pleased that people in Edinburgh will have the opportunity to see Cinderella, the first opportunity to do so following its world premiere in December. I can only apologise for the inconvenience this causes any of our audiences who had already booked to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Performance dates and times will not change: Northern Ballet will still be at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre from March 20 to 22. Tickets already bought for A Midsummer Night’s Dream remain valid, but if anyone would like a refund, they should contact the Edinburgh Festival Theatre box office on 0131 529 6000.

Picture: Northern Ballet dancers Giuliano Contadini and Lucia Solari in Cinderella. Photograph: Emma Kauldhar

Zoe Anderson

Zoë was born in Edinburgh, and saw her first dance performances at the Festival there. She is the dance critic of The Independent, and has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Scotsman and Dancing Times. In 2002, she received her doctorate from the University of York for a thesis on “Nationhood and epic romance: Ariosto, Sidney, Spenser”. She is the author of The Royal Ballet: 75 Years and The Ballet Lover’s Companion.