Not many choreographers have the power to convince the whole family to sit down and watch a ballet on Christmas Day, but if anybody can, it's Sir Matthew Bourne. And this year, it's his Sleeping Beauty that will be broadcast on Christmas day – Monday, December 25.
You can watch Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty for FREE in the UK on the BBC iPlayer streaming service. But don't worry if you're on holiday while it's on because you can watch Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty on iPlayer from anywhere with a VPN.
Time: 1.15 pm UK / 8.15 am ET / 5.15 am PT / 12.15 am AEDT (Tue)
UK: BBC iPlayer (free with TV licence)
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
For anybody new to Bourne's craft and with preconceived ideas of the art of ballet, be prepared to be dazzled. A heavyweight of the choreography world, Bourne has spent the last three decades breathing fresh life into traditional ballets, injecting a new approach — often in modern dress — to those classic works. The likes of Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Carman and Romeo and Juliet have had Matthew Bourne's magic dust sprinkled on them in the past, and this recording of Sleeping Beauty at the famous Sadlers Wells theater celebrates the 10th anniversary of its first run.
In true Bourne style, Sleeping Beauty takes Tchaikovsky's original 1890 ballet and gives it new blood — vampire blood, in this case!
As its dance-theatre company New Adventures puts it, Sleeping Beauty is a "wondrous world of magical fairies and vampires, where the timeless tale of good vs evil is turned upside-down, creating a supernatural love story that even the passage of time cannot hinder. Will Princess Aurora ever find her true love again?".
You don't need to sit in the stalls to enjoy the magic of Matthew Bourne this yuletide. Here's how to watch Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty from anywhere in the world and for free — we've got all the streaming information you'll need below.
How to watch Sleeping Beauty in the UK
Can I watch Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty in the US?
Unfortunately, it seems that the Matthew Bourne masterpiece won't be available to watch across the Atlantic during the holidays.
So if you're a Brit travelling to the States and are desperate to watch Sleeping Beauty, you'll need to go down the VPN route — explained below.
Can I watch Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty in Australia?
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty hasn't made it into the Australian TV schedule this Christmas.
But if you want some magical Matthew Bourne ballet to watch, the free ABC iview streaming service has his Swan Lake, Nutcracker! and The Red Shoes to stream at your leisure. All you need to do to watch is register with your name, date of birth and postcode.
Brits that are Down Under, however, will need to use a VPN to watch Sleeping Beauty online.
How to watch Sleeping Beauty from anywhere with a VPN
You can watch Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty on the BBC iPlayer by using a VPN — no matter where you are in the world.
Normally a streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment services even while you're traveling abroad.
Our favorite VPN is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at ExpressVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
What is the Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty release date?
This newly recorded 10th anniversary performance of Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty will be broadcast on BBC Two in the UK at 1.15 pm on Christmas Day (December 25).
There is no release date in the US or Australia.
All you need to know about Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty theatre trailer
What is the story behind the Sleeping Beauty ballet?
The ballet is based on the much-loved fairy tale, thought to have originated in the 16th century. Sleeping Beauty tells of a princess who is cursed to sleep for 100 years, with only a prince's kiss able to wake her.
Tchaikovsky's adaptation of the ballet makes Princess Aurora the titular beauty, with the evil Fairy Carabosse administering the slumbering curse over her and the entire kingdom. Only the lips of Prince Leo (originally Prince Désiré) can break the spell...
Who are the main dancers in Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty?
The main parts of the recorded production being broadcast by the BBC has Ashley Shaw playing Princess Aurora and Andrew Monaghan as Prince Leo.
Both are trusted dancers of Bourne's company, having both previously danced in his Swan Lake, The Red Shoes and The Car Man.
It also features Paris Fitzpatrick as Count Lilac and Ben Brown as Carabosse/Caradoc.
Who is Matthew Bourne?
Sir Matthew Bourne is a 63-year-old choreographer from London, UK.
Across a 35-year career, Bourne has developed a reputation for producing innovative, modernised versions of classic ballets such as Nutcracker!, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, as well as original adaptations including Edward Scissorhands, The Red Shoes, Dorian Gray and The Car Man (based on Georges Bizet's opera Carmen).
Bourne received a knighthood in 2016 for 'Services to Dance', and has won a mantelpiece-full of Tony Awards, Olivier Awards and more.
Who composed the Sleeping Beauty ballet?
Legendary Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed the original ballet of The Sleeping Beauty.
Premiering in St Petersburg in 1890, it was was the second of three ballets composed by Tchaikovsky — Swan Lake and The Nutcracker being the other two. Choreographer Matthew Bourne has adapted all three.
