Little Red Riding Hood, Northern Ballet, Linbury Theatre

Leeds-based Northern Ballet specialises in narrative works – an expertise that comes in handy when creating ballets specifically for children.

The company has a growing repertoire of children’s ballets, all based on well-known fairy tales, six of which it has been showing cinema audiences nationwide throughout 2019 in tailor-made productions that blend exciting dancing with cinematic devices designed to make them completely accessible.

Little Red Riding Hood is Northern Ballet’s brand new dance work for children. Like its predecessors, it will premiere on stage at the company’s Leeds home, before coming to the Royal Opera House’s Linbury theatre in the Autumn for its London premiere.

The choreography is by company dancer Mariana Rodrigues, a Royal Ballet School alumna who joined Northern Ballet in 2012. Set to a score by Eloise Gynn, it is, of course, based on the well-known and much loved story of Little Red Riding Hood, here portrayed as a kind and thoughtful little girl, who loves her family.

One day, while out in the forest on her way to visit her grandmother, she meets a very hungry wolf, who just wants something to eat.

Is this, though, the big bad wolf of the traditional tale?

To find the answer to that question, you’ll have to take your little ones to the Linbury Theatre this November.

For now, we can tell you that in her adventure in the forest Little Red Riding Hood makes new friends and rediscovers the importance of kindness.

We can also promise that the story will be made crystal clear and accessible even to the tiniest tots; and that the extremely skilled Northern Ballet dancers will go all out to please and charm their young audiences.

Age Guidance: all ages welcome, including babes in arms. Children above 18 months old require a ticket