Last Updated on December 10, 2025
Ballet Shoes Shines Bright on the Olivier Stage This Christmas
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Noel Streatfeild’s Ballet Shoes has always carried a glow of nostalgia, not least for me, as my mother adored the novel and the Fossil sisters helped spark my early love of theatre. This festive season, the story returns for a second run at the National Theatre’s Olivier stage in a bright, energetic production directed by Katy Rudd (The Ocean at the End of the Lane) and adapted by Kendall Feaver. It’s a staging that honours the classic’s charm while embracing fresh theatrical possibilities, delivered with the assurance of a creative team deeply attuned to what makes this tale endure.
Even before the lights dim, the tone is set: ensemble members appear throughout the auditorium in tutus, offering playful ballet lessons to eager children (and more than a few adults), drawing the audience seamlessly into the magic to come.
The Olivier’s expansive stage is awash in deep ocean blue, with Frankie Bradshaw’s magnificent set conjuring a world brimming with imagination – a treasure trove of fossils, curiosities and antiquities gathered from far-flung corners of the globe. It’s a visual feast with serious wow factor. Particularly delightful is the vintage Citroën car, which becomes a striking focal point in several scenes, as well as the brief moment of flying that drew a genuine gasp from the audience, my young companion gazing upward in pure envy.
Paule Constable’s lighting deepens the sense of wonder, shifting effortlessly from the cosy intimacy of the Fossil household to the shimmering theatricality of the Children’s Academy. Musically, it’s a joy: Asaf Zohar’s compositions, enriched by Gavin Sutherland’s orchestrations, bring warmth and buoyancy to the storytelling. And Samuel Wyer’s colourful, characterful costumes add yet another layer of fun, capturing both the quirks of the Fossil household and the glamour of the stage world the girls are stepping into.
The story of Ballet Shoes centres on three adopted sisters – Pauline, the eldest; Russian-born Petrova; and the youngest, mischievous Posy Fossil, whose dancer mother had no time to raise a baby, left in London in the care of young Sylvia, Great Uncle Matthew’s (GUM) great-niece. Sylvia, along with Nana, the household’s cook and maid, suddenly finds herself responsible for bringing up the baby girls her eccentric explorer uncle brings home from his travels. With GUM failing to return from his latest expedition, Sylvia and the ever-devoted Nana are forced to open their rambling house at 999 Cromwell Road, filled with dinosaur bones and fossils, to a colourful assortment of lodgers just to stay afloat.
It’s one of these lodgers, Theo Dane (Nadine Higgin), who widens the girls’ horizons, introducing them to the Children’s Academy of Dancing and Stage Training. From there, the narrative blossoms: Pauline begins to shine as a natural actor, encouraged by the wonderfully dry Dr Jakes (Pandora Colin); Posy dazzles with prodigious ballet talent; and Petrova, charmingly out of step with the theatrical world around her, continues to dream of engines and flight, supported by the gentle encouragement of Jai Saron (Raj Bajaj).
Bringing these characters to life is a vibrant cast. Sienna Arif-Knights gives Petrova a grounded sincerity; Nina Cassells’ Pauline exudes poise and emotional depth; and Scarlett Monahan’s Posy radiates fierce ambition, with some fabulous ballet work. Justin Salinger masterfully plays a string of roles, including Great Uncle Matthew and the imperious Madame Fidolia, bringing wit and delightful versatility to each. They’re joined by Lesley Nicol’s warm, steadfast Nana; Anoushka Lucas’s quietly formidable Sylvia; Raj Bajaj’s charismatic Jai, offering Sylvia a glimmer of romance; Chrissy Brooke’s dynamic turns as Young Manoff and the Ballerina; Gracie Hodson-Prior’s affecting Winifred; and Pandora Colin’s scene-stealing Dr Jakes.
Together, they form the beating heart of a production that feels freshly imagined yet faithful to Streatfeild’s beloved story, capturing the humour, warmth and resilience that have made Ballet Shoes a classic for generations.
I went along to Ballet Shoes with a fourteen-year-old boy, half-expecting him to roll his eyes at a story that’s not exactly modern, but he was hooked from the start. He connected with the tale of finding your own path in life and was genuinely engaged throughout. His favourite part? The second act, which races ahead with a fabulous catfight between Petrova and Winifred, sparkling dance numbers choreographed by Ellen Kane, and a wonderfully cheeky show-within-a-show of Alice in Wonderland. By the end, he was clapping furiously and grinning from ear to ear – proof that great storytelling can captivate any age.
At times, the narrative drifts into the delightfully far-fetched, but honestly, isn’t that half the pleasure? It certainly was when I was a child, and here it still casts the same spell, sweeping you along before you have the chance to question a thing. As the sisters weather triumphs, stumbles and the everyday realities of 1930s London, the production leans into its themes of family, ambition, sacrifice and resilience. It’s an undeniably old-fashioned tale but told with such warmth and sincerity that it feels unexpectedly fresh – a reminder of why this story has endured.
Charming, heartfelt, and full of surprises, this production proves that Ballet Shoes still has the power to delight audiences of all ages – the perfect festive outing for the whole family is here.
Ballet Shoes
Olivier Theatre
National Theatre
Upper Ground,
South Bank,
London SE1 9PX
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7452 3000.
From 17 November 2025 to 21 February 2026 at the Olivier, National Theatre.
Looking for something different? Check our Christmas show previews.
Went today, 3 December matinee and we had seats in the circle. The best thing was the stage setting and choreography. I don’t know whether there were any understudies today but Professor Fossil and Winifred were poor. I have no hearing problems but the dialogue was difficult to understand as it was so gabbled. The young actors shrieked and the music was loud. Very difficult to follow, luckily I know the story. Does no one sit upstairs from time to time to ensure the use of mikes was working. The use of mikes today must have been sadly lacking or incorrectly set. An avid fan of the National Theatre I was sadly disappointed.
Maureen Cox
That’s a shame. I’ll check with our reviewer to see what her own impression was and where she sat. Thanks – The Editor