'THE SANDMAN was Chantry's first full-length original ballet created in 2017. A completely original story written by co-Artistic Director Rae Piper, it was inspired by the folklore figure of The Sandman, the bringer of dreams, and the Hans Christian Anderson tale of 'The Sandman' or Ole Lukøje.

The Sandman sends humans to sleep by dropping sand in their eyes, then with a magic rainbow umbrella he brings good dreams, but with a dark umbrella he brings nightmares.
We follow the story of a woman who is desperate to give good dreams to her ill husband - so desperate that she is willing to follow the Sandman into the world of dreams to try to steal the dream umbrellas. There she meets many bizarre and entertaining characters including the timid Monster-under-the-Bed, the Puppet seeking freedom from his strings, the Unformed Dreams, and The Sandman himself. 

The woman steals the dream umbrellas and returns to the real world to give beautiful, magical dreams to her husband so that he recovers. Wanting to share the magic with others, the man and woman then go into the world to give the gift of good dreams to everyone through the rainbow umbrella.

But what will happen should the umbrellas get mixed up?​


Choreography - Paul Chantry & Rae Piper
Story & Design - Rae Piper
Lighting Design - Antony Hateley
Composer - Tim Mountain
Dance Director - Gail Gordon
Costumier - Emma Darban

REVIEWS

"In Act 2 the dance between the wife and husband was phenomenal. The way that the wife portrayed her love for her husband was very moving. The sheer joy expressed through her dance with him was spectacular and brought tears to my eyes."

NORTH WEST END, ANGELA KELLY - 4 stars
Read the full review here

"The Sandman is both moving and emotionally intelligent.
One memorable highlight is the sympathetic treatment of the monster-under-the-bed, who turns out to be perhaps more scared of us than we are of him, giving the piece a sensitivity which subverts our expectations and invites us to think less in terms of a binary of good and evil."

GRANTHAM JOURNAL, COSTANZA PEARCE

"...truly lost in the enchanting mix of music and beautifully structured choreography throughout. At the end, the audience rose to its feet to a truly well-deserved standing ovation!"

VIEW MAGAZINE, SOFIA PUGH

AUDIENCE COMMENTS

"Just watched the Chantry Dance Company sell out first performance of 'The Sandman'. Wow! Absolutely fantastic! Brilliant performance by all involved. Now touring the U.K, get your tickets people you won't be disappointed."

“Oh my goodness! Just had the best evening at The Victoria Theatre watching Chantry Dance Company perform The Sandman. I highly recommend it if you can see it on tour. Loved the concept, loved the dancing.”

“It was amazing. Very intense, I was totally absorbed into the story and felt every single emotion. Outstanding.”

“It was fabulous. Such energy and great choreography. Go and see the performance if you haven't yet done so.”

"A truly spellbinding spectacle, full of humor and pathos in equal measure, it delights all ages with its inventiveness and creativity. The music is a worthy partner of an excellent choreography, executed with great technique and professionalism. A really memorable evening out."

 “Have just watched the stunning performance of 'The Sandman' by Chantry Dance Company. What a beautiful, strong and sensitive show. Totally moved.”