Matthew Bourne's Cinderella to play festive season at Sadler's Wells

Emmie Newitt 22 January, 2026, 10:33

An extensive 2026/27 UK tour is announced for the production, which will mark its 30th anniversary. Matthew Bourne's Cinderella first ran in the West End in 1995, before a revised version was presented in 2010, which embarked on a tour of the UK.

matthew bourne cinderella sadlers wells Artwork for Matthew Bourne's Cinderella.

The tour will open at Theatre Royal Plymouth and The Lowry, before the company has its 24th Christmas season at Sadler's Wells.

Billed as one of New Adventures’ most popular and beloved productions, Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella takes audiences on a thrilling and evocative love story, set in London during the Second World War. An epic interpretation of the classic fairytale, a chance meeting results in a magical night for Cinderella and her dashing young RAF pilot, together just long enough to fall in love before being parted by the horrors of the Blitz.

Matthew Bourne said today:“Nearly thirty years ago, our Cinderella became the first (and only) ballet ever to premiere directly in the West End of London, starring Adam Cooper, Sarah Wildor, Will Kemp and Lynn Seymour. Apart from a triumphant run in Los Angeles in 1999, it did not go on its first UK Tour until the production was completely revised, with spectacular new design, lighting and surround-sound in 2010.

This story has always held a very special place in my heart. My parents were both children of the London Blitz, living streets apart from each other in the bomb-battered East End. It’s also a tribute to the spirit and resilience of my hometown but mostly it’s about love, the power of love to transcend troubled times and give hope for a better future. In fact, this could be the show that we all need right now. I look forward to welcoming you all to the Ball later this year.”

Casting for the production is to be announced soon.

With Lez Brotherston’s glorious Olivier Award-winning designs, lighting by Olivier Award-winning Neil Austin and video and projection designs by Duncan McLean, Cinderella features sensational sound design by Paul Groothuis which will take the audience into the heart of Prokofiev’s magnificent score, and the sights and sounds of war-torn London.

The production will play at Sadler's Wells from 1 December 2026 to 17 January 2027. Audiences can also experience another theatrical delight from Matthew Bourne with The Car Man playing at the same venue from 28 July - 29 August.