Loss and love

The Sleeping Beauty is a story about good and evil, loss and love. But mostly it's about guest lists and what happens when you forget to invite someone.

As children we loved its spindles and kisses, the wicked Carabosse and beautiful Aurora. And sometimes the job of a good storyteller is to simply retell - without frosting, frou-frou or reinvention.

This is what informs The Royal Ballet's production; the energy goes on larger set pieces and recreating the pastel, picture-book world of Oliver Messel, on taking a fairy tale as old as the crib and a Tchaikovsky score so familiar that it's practically in our public unconscious and rendering it reliably. No jazz hands.

Although beautiful, the victim here is characterisation; with workmanlike plot advancement and little oxygen for leads. Carabosse (Gillian Revie) is a hoot but, without similar magic, Aurora can find herself swallowed by story and gestural miming.

Tonight it took Roberta Marquez well into the second act to come off the page, and a grand pas de deux in the third before she found a lightness, refinement and grace beyond mere narration.

Happily, the world had its Technicolor streaks - notably Kenta Kura, heartstopping as the Bluebird with his Princess (Lauren Cuthbertson) and sound leads - but ultimately not enough to upstage the Story. And perhaps, when it comes to childhood staples and ballet rep, there is a strong argument that it never should.

In rep until May 6 (next perf tonight), Royal Opera House, Bow Street WC2, various times, £5 to £90. Tel: 020 7304 4000. www.royalopera.org Tube: Covent Garden

The Sleeping Beauty
Royal Opera House
Bow Street, WC2