Ballo Arthur Pita, Ten Sorry Tales, Lilian Baylis Studio

Arthur Pita is a prolific and original choreographer, but all his works, be they for children or adults (or indeed both), have one thing in common: his keen eye for the surreal and predilection for the grotesque. Within that, though, Pita often manages to find elements of sublime innocence and beauty, as he does, for example in The Little Match Girl, his moving and engaging take on the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, which has been the staple of Lilian Baylis' Christmases past and is now available on Sadler's Wells Digital Stage

Ten Sorry Tales, Pita's latest show for the whole family, is a dance theatre production based on the book of short stories by Mick Jackson. A characteristic mix of dance, theatre, live on stage music and song, it runs through a gamut of colourful and bizarre, occasionally macabre, stories, from the child who sleeps for many many years, to the sinister sisters who prey on trespassers, and the boy who brings butterflies back to life.

A cast of seven versatile dance actors brings the tales to life, with music and lyrics by Arthur Pita's regular collaborators Frank Moon and Bev Lee Harding, designs by Yann Seabra, also a regular of Ballo Arthur Pita productions, and projections by Michele Cadel.

Ten Sorry Tales should have made it to the capital earlier, but the London premiere was postponed due to the pandemic. So, the coming half-term run at Sadler's Wells' Lilian Baylis studio is our first opportunity to delve into the latest product of Arthur Pita's extravagant and highly entertaining imagination.

Age Guidance: 8+