Cinderella
Cast sheet
Saturday 14 December 2024
|
12.30pm
Exceptional philanthropic support from Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust
Generous philanthropic support from The Paul Ferguson Memorial Fund, Kenneth and Susan Green, Sandra and Anthony Gutman, Charles Holloway OBE and The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund
In memory of George Simon
The 2024/25 Royal Ballet Season generously supported by Aud Jebsen
The role of Cinderella is generously supported by Francesca Storey-Harris in memory of Judy Harris
A co-production between The Royal Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada
Approximate timings
Choreography
Frederick Ashton
Music
Sergey Prokofiev
Conductor
Jonathan Lo
Set designer
Tom Pye
Costume designer
Alexandra Byrne
Lighting designer
David Finn
Video designer
Finn Ross
Illusions
Chris Fisher
Staging
Gary Avis, Wendy Ellis Somes
Senior Répétiteur
Deirdre Chapman, Samantha Raine, Samira Saidi
Répétiteur
Sian Murphy,
Principal Coaching
Alexander Agadzhanov, Leanne Benjamin, Darcey Bussell, Isabel McMeekan, Laura Morera, Malin Thoors, Christopher Saunders
Benesh Choreologist
Daniel Kraus
Cinderella
Fumi Kaneko
The Prince
William Bracewell
Cinderella's Step Sisters
Bennet Gartside, James Hay
Cinderella's Father
Thomas Whitehead
The Fairy Godmother
Annette Buvoli
The Fairy Godmother in Disguise
Olga Sabadoch
The Dancing Master
Téo Dubreuil
A Tailor
Denilson Almeida
Dressmakers
Hanna Park, Maddison Pritchard
The Shoemaker
James Large
The Hairdresser
Aiden O'Brien
A Jeweller
Harrison Lee
Two Fiddlers
Grace Lee, Ksenia Berezina
The Fairy Spring
Isabella Gasparini
The Fairy Summer
Mariko M. Sasaki
The Fairy Autumn
Charlotte Tonkinson
The Fairy Winter
Julia Roscoe
The Jester
Daichi Ikarashi
The Prince's Friends
Leo Dixon, Joonhyuk Jun, Joshua Junker, Lukas Bjørneboe Brændsrød
Suitors
Harris Bell, Liam Boswell
Dancers
The Company
Orchestra
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Associate Concert Master
Melissa Carstairs
Director
Kevin O’Hare CBE
Music Director
Koen Kessels
Resident Choreographer
Sir Wayne McGregor CBE
Artistic Associate
Christopher Wheeldon OBE
Administrative Director
Heather Baxter
Rehearsal Director
Christopher Saunders
Clinical Director Ballet Healthcare
Shane Kelly
Synopsis
A room in the house of Cinderella’s father Cinderella’s Step-Sisters are highly excited: they have been invited to ...
ACT I
A room in the house of Cinderella’s father
A room in the house of Cinderella’s father Cinderella’s Step-Sisters are highly excited: they have been invited to a ball at the palace. Cinderella, however, must stay at home, where all day long she is made to sweep, clean and polish. Alone for a moment, Cinderella recalls the happy days when her mother was still alive. Her father misses those times too, but is afraid of his bad-tempered step-daughters, who scold him angrily when he tries to comfort Cinderella.
A mysterious woman appears and asks for help. The step-sisters drive her away, but Cinderella offers her some bread. The woman casts a gentle look at Cinderella and disappears.
Tradespeople arrive, and dressmakers, a hairdresser and a jeweller help the Step-Sisters to prepare for the ball. With their dancing-master, they practise the gavotte. Cinderella’s father and Step-Sisters set out for the ball, and she is left sad and alone.
The mysterious woman reappears and reveals herself as Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother. She summons the fairies of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter who each offers Cinderella their season’s gifts. Far away from her grey, everyday existence, Cinderella is taken to an enchanted realm of beauty and fantasy high up among the stars.
As a reward for her kindness, Cinderella shall go to the ball. The Fairy Godmother warns her that she must leave before the clock strikes midnight, or all the magic charms will fade away. Escorted by the Seasons and the Stars, Cinderella rides away to the ball.
ACT II
The palace
The court jester is waiting for the ball to begin. The guests arrive, including Cinderella’s father and Step-Sisters. A fanfare heralds the entrance of the Prince. Cinderella arrives in her magical pumpkin coach, so beautiful that everyone takes her for a princess; even her Step-Sisters fail to recognize her. The Prince is charmed by her beauty, and offers her oranges, the rarest fruit in his realm. The guests disperse and the Prince and Cinderella, left alone, declare their love for each other. The waltz resumes and, caught up in the dance, Cinderella forgets the Fairy Godmother’s warning. Suddenly she hears the clock strike twelve and rushes from the palace, losing one of her slippers on the stairs. Dismayed, the Prince picks up the slipper and vows he will find the young woman he loves.
ACT III
After the ball
Cinderella finds herself once again at the fireside, wondering if it were all a dream. The elegant slipper in her apron convinces her that she really was in the palace garden and had danced with the Prince. The Step-Sisters arrive home and boast to Cinderella about their conquests at the ball.
The Prince appears, searching for the young woman who lost the slipper. Both the Step-Sisters try to cram their feet into the delicate slipper. Cinderella kneels to help and the second slipper falls out of her pocket. The Prince immediately recognizes in the modest Cinderella the beautiful princess from the ball.
The Fairy Godmother appears. The lovers are united and walk away into the golden light of happiness.
Guidance
Language
Further information
We are working hard on our commitment towards becoming more sustainable and are striving for our net zero goal of 2035. By using digital cast sheets and e-tickets, we have reduced our paper consumption by over five tonnes per year. You can view our digital cast sheets on a computer, tablet or smartphone by scanning the QR codes displayed around the building using your smartphone’s camera app. They are also displayed on screens outside the auditoria. Cast sheets are generously supported by the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund.
Photography and filming are prohibited during performances in any of our auditoriums. You are welcome to take pictures throughout the rest of the building and before performances and share them with us through social media. Commercial photography and filming must be agreed in advance with our press team.
Larger bags and backpacks need to be check into our complimentary cloakrooms. Unattended bags may be removed.
Please do not place any personal belongings on the ledges in front of you. Mobile phones should be turned off and stored away safely during performances.
Only bottled water and ice cream purchased from the premises can be taken into the auditorium.
If you arrive late to the auditorium or leave during a performance, you will not be allowed back to your seat until the interval or a suitable break.
Smoking and vaping are not permitted anywhere on the premises.
The safety of our visitors, staff and artists is our priority. To help us provide a comfortable experience for everyone, please be mindful of others and their personal space.
Our staff are committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect and we ask that you show them and your fellow audience members respect too. We adopt a zero-tolerance approach in response to anyone who interacts with our staff or with fellow audience members in an intimidating, aggressive or threatening manner.
We rely on your support to make world-class ballet and opera for everyone. With your donations we can ensure a bright future for the Royal Ballet and Opera, bringing communities together and inspiring future generations up and down the country.
For people, not profit.
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales (Company number 480523) Charity Registered (Number 211775)