Matthew Bourne's The Red Shoes at Sadler's Wells

Matthew Bourne's New Adventures company have today announced that their new original production will be the world premiere of The Red Shoes based on the film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger as well as the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, with music by Bernard Herrmann. It will begin at the Theatre Royal Plymouth and run at Sadler's Wells theatre in north London from 6 December 2016 to 29 January 2017 with an official opening on 14 December 2016.

The story is both a fairy-tale and Academy Award-winning film and has inspired generations of dancers with its tale of obsession, possession and one girl's dream to be the greatest dancer in the world. It is set to an original score arranged by Terry Davies using the mesmerizing music of golden-age Hollywood composer Bernard Herrmann.

"Victoria Page lives to dance but her ambitions become a battleground between the two men who inspire her passion." The role of Victoria Page will be created by Australian dancer and New Adventures Principal Ashley Shaw who is currently starring as Aurora in Matthew Bourne's "Sleeping Beauty" on UK tour.

Directed and choreographed by Bourne, the production will feature set and costume design by Lez Brotherston, lighting by Paule Constable and sound by Paul Groothuis.

Speaking today at a press launch for the show, Matthew Bourne said of the project:

"It has been a long held ambition of mine to bring "The Red Shoes" to the stage as a dance/drama. It is set in the theatrical world of a touring dance company. It is actually about dance and dancers, a world that we all understand so well. However, the film's genius is to make that theatrical world at times surreal, larger than life and highly cinematic. My challenge will be to capture some of that surreal, sensuous quality within the more natural theatre setting."

Matthew Bourne is one of the UK's most prolific choreographers and was recently awarded an OBE for services to Dance. Throughout his career he has won numerous awards including an Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk and Evening Standard Awards and is the only British director to have won the Best Direction of a Musical and Best Choreography. His New Adventures company was formed in 2002 and continues to tour the UK and internationally.

Tickets for the production are now on sale.