Scottish Ballet Cinders

Scottish Ballet’s playful retelling of the Cinderella story returns to surprise and delight audiences.

In Cinders!, the classic gets a romantic twist: on some nights, Cinders is a woman swept off her feet by her Prince; on others, a man swept off his feet by his Princess. In this revival, we’re adding new possibilities – some performances will feature a male Cinders meeting his Prince, or a female Cinders meeting her Princess.

Set at the turn of the 20th century in Cinders’ family-run emporium, life is sweet until tragedy strikes, leaving Cinders an orphan. Enter the new proprietor, Mrs Thorne, an intimidating mother of three ghastly children. Treating Cinders with contempt, they turn the store into a garish version of its former self. When the Royal Ball is announced, hilarity, excitement and chaos ensue as the Thorne family begin their frenzied preparations to attend.

Taking refuge in an enchanted rose garden, Cinders is magically transformed into a vision of sophistication and beauty, worthy of charming everyone at the ball. As the story of Cinders and the Thornes unfolds, who will live happily ever after?

Choreographed by Christopher Hampson, with opulent costumes and sets by Elin Steele, plus Prokofiev’s irresistibly tuneful music performed live by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra, Cinders! is everything you love about the enchanted fairytale – made sparkling, fresh and new.

(Casting information is available here for those who’d like to know in advance, but we recommend keeping it a surprise – it’s all part of the magic!)

Running time: The performance lasts approximately 2 hours including one 20-minute interval.