The story of Cinderella is well known as the most performed of all pantomimes. But what about Cinderella the ballet?

Numerous ballet versions have been created since 1813 with music from different composers but the 1945 version with music by Prokofiev is the most established.

The ballet has tended to be overshadowed by Tchaikovsky’s three masterpieces and even by Prokofiev’s own Romeo and Juliet but recent years have seen a growing interest in it.

Now a new production using Prokofiev’s music is to be staged at the Southport Theatre and the story has been given quite a make-over.

In this version from Ballet Theatre UK, Cinderella is working in a Paris dress shop doing all the hard work while her sisters wear the beautiful dresses she creates.

When Cinderella shows off the dress she plans to wear to a prince’s ball, they rip it to shreds. Her Fairy Godmother creates a new one and she does go to the ball and scores quite a hit with the prince much to her sisters’ chagrin.

The prince later goes looking for her and he visits the salons of Christian Dior, Yves St Laurent and Coco Chanel for some dances before finally tracking her down despite the efforts of the sisters to put him off the track.

As with the pantomime, the work contains many humorous moments, particularly with the ugly sisters who are portrayed as vain fashionistas.