The Prince of the Pagodas is a ballet created for The Royal Ballet by choreographer John Cranko in 1957, with music commissioned by Benjamin Britten.

"Revived in 1989 by Kenneth MacMillan, the full-length fairytale ballet is a fabulous combination of classical and modern in story, in dance and in design. The choreography is in part a tribute to the Imperial Russian ballet of Petipa, with dazzling solos, pas de deux and ensembles set in a fantasy world of myth and magic.

MacMillan also encapsulated the most extraordinary physical portrayals of character in the greedy and selfish Princess Épine - a wonderful variation on the wicked fairy of legend - the kings from the four corners of the earth and an especially wise Fool. The themes of the story are beautifully paired with Britten's music, itself an orchestral tour de force of colour and atmosphere."