Brisbane review – Australian Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty: traditional fairy tale filled with magic and hope

By Deanne Scott

The Sleeping Beauty

Performed by : Queensland Symphony Orchestra

Choreography: Marius Petipa  

Production and additional choreography: David McAllister  

Composer: Piotr IIywich Tchaikovsky 

Costume and Set Design: Gabriela Tylesova 

Design Associate: Kat Chan 

Dramaturge: Lucas Jervies 

Lighting Design: Jon Buswel

At QPAC Brisbane / Meanjin

16 – 23 August 2025

17.08.2025

Image by David Kelly

The Sleeping Beauty has always been a favourite of mine, and I was not disappointed.  It was simply, Beautiful. It is a traditional fairytale filled with magic, hope and a fairytale ending, all packaged up in with a stunning score by Tchaikovsky.

The story begins with the Kingdom's Fairies invited to Princess Aurora’s christening, and because Carabosse is a feared fairy, she is removed from the guest list. Carabosse is hurt and curses the princess and says she will die when she is 16, but the Lilac Fairy converts the curse to sleeping for 100 years; when Prince Désiré will find her and kiss her awake. 

The original choreographer was Marius Petipa (in late 19th century Russia), who gave instructions to Tchaikovsky on how he imagined the music to suit each character and the required length for each scene. There fore, the music fits the storyline like a glove. 

This beloved ballet has been redefined by the Australian Ballet and by the former Artistic Director David McAllister in 2015. In this rebooted version Mr McAllister has worked with the company to make some revisions. The one I'm really excited about is making the wicked fairy’s involvement in the story more three-dimensional.

The ballet is not only a feast for the ears, but also for the eyes.  The Queensland Orchestra pulled out all stops for this and worked seamlessly with the dancers.  The set and costume designs for this production are rich in texture and colour and sumptuously Baroque.   

The Prologue is set in the Palace, all abuzz with the news of the birth of the baby Aurora.  The King wants to send invitations to all the fairies to be Godmothers to the child, including Carabosse, the feared and ancient fairy of Wisdom.  The King’s secretary, Catalabutte, is loathed to invite her and tears up her invitation.

At the Christening of Aurora, the Godmothers give their gifts, but before the Lilac Fairy bestows hers, Carabosse enters, hurt and angered at not being invited and curses the baby Princess.  The Lilac Fairy tempers the curse and says the Princess will sleep for 100 years. 

At the Christening, the Fairies are elegant and sparkling, each with their own personality that is further exemplified by Tchaikovsky’s music.  They were all delightful and technically perfect.  

The Fairy of Grace, (Isobelle Dashwood), in sparkling crystals was tall, elegant and personified the word Grace. 

The Fairy of Joy, (Aya Watanabe), I wished her dance could be longer!  The music and her choreography was energetic with high extensions and pirouettes, and then she was gone.  

The Fairy of Generosity, (Sara Andrion) was warm and elegant. With the plucked strings from the orchestra, this was a dance, much on pointe, that captivated and mesmerised me.

The Fairy of Musicality, (Canari Fairy in yellow), danced by Hannah Sergi, brought smiles and laughter to the audience.

The Fairy of Temperament, (Larissa Kiyoto-Ward), had a strong dance filled with beautiful lines and length.

The Lilac Fairy, (Mia Heathcote), was stunning in every way; her costume was every little ballet dancer’s dream.  She always had a powerful but calming presence on stage.

Carabosse, (Katherine Sonnekus), was played as a Fairy that has been wronged.  Traditionally she is played as an old woman, but in this production she was more glamorous and intriguing.  She had her rats as “guards” and a magnificent stage presence.  Something I learnt as I was researching, is the Tchaikovsky used the key of E major for the Lilac Fairy and E minor for Carabosse.

The ball in Act 1 was set in an opulent Baroque setting of rich reds, pinks and cream.  The courtiers dancing with the garlands was like an intricate maypole dance, that had to be performed with precision.

Act 2 is set 100 years later in the forest and Prince Désiré, in a melancholy mood with a yearning of something more, prefers to read his book rather than go on a hunt with friends.  When he is left alone, his God Mother, the Lilac fairy shows him the image of Aurora and he falls in love and vows to find her.  The forest Faires are simply gorgeous, and again the attention to detail on the costuming is breath taking.

The final Act of this lavish production, opened with the audience taking in a huge breath.  Opulence is the only word to describe this Golden Kingdom with glittering chandeliers, golden courtiers and marble curved columns.

The Blue Birds captured my heart.  They were Florine, (Yuumi Yamanda) and Bluebird, (Cameron Holmes.)

Florine was exquisite, strong, delicate, and precise with her fluttering moves. I felt that I could hold her in my hands.  She was perfectly matched by the strong and explosive dancing by the Bluebird. 

The final pas de deux of Aurora, danced by (Ako Kondo) and the Prince, (Brett Chynoweth) was exceptional.  The fish dives were masterful and executed with joy!

I found I was engaged and my heart captured by this production for the whole 3 hours.  An experience I will always treasure.