David Bintley – Sergei Prokofjev
Cinderella
SEE IT BEFORE THE SPELL IS BROKEN!
The familiar folk tale of Cinderella, oppressed by her unkindly stepmother and stepsisters, returns to the Finnish National Ballet! From the Fairy Godmother to the pumpkin carriage, all the key elements will be there. The beautiful ballet choreography along with the delicious set and costume design guarantees a fabulous visual feast for children and adults alike. Cinderella is ideal for a child’s first venture into the world of ballet.
The highly esteemed, seasoned British choreographer David Bintley originally created Cinderella for the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2010. In Britain, Bintley’s name has become synonymous for quality ballet performances. The audience fell in love with his Cinderella, as did the critics. His name is familiar to the Finnish audience also from recent seasons; Bintley’s A Christmas Carol premiered at the National Ballet in December 2023 and immediately gained great success.
“Choreographically, the ballet is skilfully crafted—at its best, it soars with weightless grace.”
– Helsingin sanomat
watch trailer
synopsis
Ever since her mother’s death, Cinderella has been brought up by a cruel stepmother who has two daughters. After her father also dies, her life becomes truly miserable. She must serve her stepmother and sisters and live in a dirty kitchen corner. Her only treasure is a pair of her mother’s beautiful old dancing shoes.
Read more on the synopsis
A huge party is planned in the city to find a bride for the Prince. While the stepsisters are getting ready, Cinderella meets an old homeless woman in the basement and helps her with the little that she has. To warm the woman’s bare feet, Cinderella even gives away her mother’s dancing shoes. The woman turns out to be a fairy who, grateful for the help, conjures a fabulous dress for Cinderella and servants to escort her to the party.
The party is full of charming maidens, but none of them can win the Prince’s heart. Once Cinderella arrives, the Prince is immediately fascinated by her and dances with her all night. At midnight, however, the spell is broken. Cinderella’s clothes turn into rags and her carriage becomes a pumpkin again. As Cinderella runs out of the castle, one of her dancing shoes falls off.
The next day the Prince attempts to find the owner of the shoe, searching the town from house to house. Cinderella’s stepsisters also try the shoe on in vain. In the end, Cinderella plucks up the courage to come out and meet the Prince. She puts on the shoe with ease, and the two avow eternal love for each other.
A full synopsis and background information are available in the program booklet.
Cinderella’s tale
gallery
Creative team
- Music
- Sergei Prokofjev
- Koreografi
- David Bintley
- Sets
- Emma Ryott
- Costumes
- Emma Ryott
- Lighting design
- Mark Jonathan
- Conductor
- Jan Söderblom
cast
- Stepmother
- Anna Sariola
- Father
- Samuli Poutanen
Listen to Cinderella
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tickets and performances
Gift packages are available to this performance. A gift package includes ticket(s) to the best seats in the stalls as well as interval refreshments from a buffet: coffee/tea and Opera cake(s). The offer is valid until 24 December.
How to buy a gift package
Choose your seats from the stalls in price category B or C and select ticket type ‘GIFT PACKAGE’. The offer does not apply to premieres. Package availability is limited.
Enjoy opera and ballet with kids
The keys to an entertaining evening
The performance takes place on our Main Stage, which has no fewer than 1,300 seats in its auditorium. Please note that the 3rd balcony is very high up. It provides an impressive view, but the front-row seats on this level may not suit those with a fear of heights. Explore the Main Stage and find out more about where to sit. You can also compare the view from different parts of the auditorium.
Price categories: Seats in the auditorium are priced according to the view of the stage and divided into eight price categories (A–H). In addition to seat location, the price is affected by the performance date and demand. Only standard-priced tickets are available in the lowest price categories (F–H).
Discounts:
Discounts are available for selected productions, performances, and seats in the Stalls and the 1st and 2nd Balconies, unless otherwise indicated.
-Pensioners: €10 discount per ticket for selected seats in the Stalls and the 1st Balcony. The discount is available to all holders of the card for national pension recipients and anyone aged 65 or over.
-Students, military and non-military servicemen: 40% discount on the full ticket price.
-Children and those aged 20 and under: 40–50% discount on the full ticket price.
-Same-day tickets: A special rate of €30 per ticket is available for those aged 20 and under, students, military and non-military servicemen, the unemployed, and pensioners. The discount applies to seats in the Stalls, no earlier than 12 hours before the performance and subject to availability.
Please note that full-price and concessionary tickets for under-20s, students, and pensioners can be exchanged in our online store free of charge up to 24 hours before the performance. The value of the ticket(s) is credited to your customer account for later use.
Children and young people up to the age of 20 are eligible for a 40–50% discount on ticket prices.
Please note that children under the age of 5 are not admitted to Main Stage performances. The age recommendation for each production can be found at the top of its dedicated page.
For the best view, we recommend seats in the front Stalls or the centre of the 1st Balcony. If you’re unsure which seats would be most suitable, our customer service team will be happy to help you find the best options.
To ensure an enjoyable and memorable visit, see our Visiting with children page for more tips.
You can easily purchase accessible seats either through our online store or customer service. On the auditorium map, you can check the locations of accessible seats in the Main Stage auditorium (pdf). The accessible seats are marked with wheelchair icons to make choosing your seat easier.
Read more detailed instructions for purchasing accessible seats and ensure your visit is effortlessly enjoyable from start to finish.
The programme booklet provides background information about the production, its creators, and the story. It is published on the day of the premiere and can be purchased before the performance from the customer service desk in the Töölönlahti lobby, the sales desk at the Mannerheimintie entrance, all open counters of the Opera Restaurant, and selected members of our lobby staff. The price of the programme booklet is €7.
You can also buy the programme booklet in advance from our customer service desk or online via the Order refreshments page. See more detailed instructions here on how to purchase the programme booklet on the Order refreshments page.
The digital cast details for each opera and ballet, including the evening’s cast and creative team, are published online no later than on the day of the performance (please note that the link opens in a separate window). Cast details are also available on the displays and touch screens in the foyers, as well as under the My events tab in the mobile app.
Enhance your experience with refreshments. You can enjoy refreshments before the performance or during the interval. We recommend placing your order in advance, either through our online store or by calling our customer service. If tables are still available, online sales close no later than 24 hours before the performance.
Using the Opera&Ballet mobile app, you can order interval refreshments to a pick-up counter until shortly before the performance begins. Learn more about pick-up orders.
The Opera House is located by Töölönlahti bay. Our address is Helsinginkatu 58, which is well served by public transport.
The main entrance on the Mannerheimintie side usually opens 1.5 hours before the start of a Main Stage performance. Please make sure you arrive in good time, at least 15 minutes before the performance begins. Latecomers are only admitted after the interval so as not to disturb the performance.
How to dress for the performance? Can I wear perfume? Do I need to pay for the cloakroom? Find answers to these questions and more on our Tips for visitors page. We have put together a comprehensive guide to help make your visit to the Opera House a success.