[1] Bourne has said that "the image of the red shoes that, once put on, will not allow the wearer to stop dancing has long been a potent one for creative minds, from Powell and Pressburger to Kate Bush to Emma Rice...
"[2] The production uses music written by Herrmann from a variety of his film scores, including those for The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Fahrenheit 451, Hangover Square, and Citizen Kane.
[3][4] Herrmann's music was reorchestrated for the ballet by Terry Davies for an ensemble of strings, pianos, harp, percussion and electronic keyboards.
[5] Brotherston's designs include the use of a stage set proscenium arch which can rotate to indicate whether the theatre-based scenes are taking place on-stage or off-stage.
The Observer reported that it was "a feast for the eye, with every scene animated by sharp detail and witty characterisation...It’s all very artfully composed, and Bourne choreographs with the lightest of touches, threading in references to Hollywood movies and Diaghilev-era ballets as he goes.