Birmingham Royal Ballet return to The Lowry with THE SLEEPING BEAUTY and the biggest wardrobe in ballet

Backstage of Birmingham Royal Ballet Sleeping Beauty

Birmingham Royal Ballet return to The Lowry with THE SLEEPING BEAUTY and the biggest wardrobe in ballet

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY is one of the grandest ballets ever created, with a classical score by Tchaikovsky and original choreography by Marius Petipa. With its marvellous mixture of virtuoso dance, fairy tale characters and dazzling spectacle, THE SLEEPING BEAUTY has delighted audiences for over a hundred years with Sir Peter Wright’s 1984 production for Birmingham Royal Ballet acclaimed as one of the best in the world.

Resplendent in a shimmering palette of blush pink and gold, the wardrobe of THE SLEEPING BEAUTY is the largest and most complex of any ballet in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s repertory. The expert costume and wig departments begin work as soon as the ballet is announced, preparing themselves for months of repairing and renovating original costumes, dressing wigs and ponytails, fitting new costumes on dancers and ensuring every fine detail will be ready for the opening night of THE SLEEPING BEAUTY.

BRB Sleeping Beauty

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY wardrobe – facts and figures:

  • THE SLEEPING BEAUTY is Birmingham Royal Ballet’s biggest production in terms of costumes and wigs, and the only which requires an entire articulated lorry just for wardrobe.
  • There are 66 wigs, 31 ponytails and 1 beard in THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, all prepared and applied by a dedicated wig department.
  • There are 40 rails of costumes and 17 wicker skips in THE SLEEPING BEAUTY wardrobe – including 4 rails of Princess Aurora tutus alone.
  • The dancer playing Princess Aurora wears 3 tutus throughout the ballet. With 9 ballerinas cast in the lead role, each with their own complete set of costumes, the wardrobe team must prepare 27 Aurora tutus.
  • It takes approximately 1 week to make a tutu base, or skirt, and about 4 weeks to complete the entire process. There are usually three fittings with the dancer who will be wearing the tutu.
  • The court lady dresses weigh just over 1 stone each, and the dress for the evil fairy Carabosse weighs much more.
  • Many of original costumes are still in use today, including Birmingham Royal Ballet Assistant Director Marion Tait’s own Princess Aurora tutu.
  • Throughout the run of THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, the costume staff can spend up to 3 hours each day repairing costumes.
  • THE SLEEPING BEAUTY produces so much laundry that the washing machines are in constant use throughout the show.
  • The wardrobe includes 8 baskets of shoes – some ballerinas will use 10 pairs of pointe shoes or more throughout the tour.

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of THE SLEEPING BEAUTY is currently on tour in the UK and at Salford’s The Lowry from 28 February to 3 March 2018.