‘I accepted the commission partly for the money, and partly because I have long wanted to try my hand at this sort of music,’ wrote Tchaikovsky to Rimsky-Korsakov. For the sum of 800 roubles (around £

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The second, and longest, of Tchaikovsky’s three ballets, Sleeping Beauty was first performed in St Petersburg in 1889. Again, the theme of good versus evil is to the fore, in the form of the character

Your heads-up on this season’s must-see shows and events

Musical: Paddington: The Musical Savoy Theatre, London WC2 ...

Our critic looks back at the best, worst, most underrated and most irritating performances of 2025 and recommends the plays to see this Christmas