Matthew Bourne's The Red Shoes

The Liverpool Empire

Matthew Bourne Reimagines a Cinematic Classic

24 – 28 February 2026

Matthew Bourne’s production of The Red Shoes arrives at the Liverpool Empire Theatre in a spectacular celebration of movement, emotion and theatrical imagination that has earned acclaim and multiple Olivier Awards. Based on the legendary 1948 film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and inspired by the original Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, this production tells the story of a gifted young dancer whose passion for her art becomes a powerful and consuming force, placing her ambitions and relationships on a dramatic collision course.

The staging is rich with sumptuous designs by Lez Brotherston, evocative lighting and impeccable sound, wrapped around a score orchestrated by Terry Davies drawn from the golden-age Hollywood compositions of Bernard Herrmann. Bourne’s choreography brings both sweeping balletic grace and innovative theatricality to the stage, with expressive performances that draw you deep into the narrative and leave a vivid emotional impression long after the curtain falls.

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