Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake - The Next Generation
A ballet that, even thirty years on, continues to startle, amuse, impress and enthral
Norwich Theatre
Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, the show that had its world premiere at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London on November 9th 1995, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with a nationwide tour that includes a visit to Norwich Theatre Royal, and with five of the six performances having sold out before the curtain had even gone up for Tuesday's opening night.
It is a work that has been described as having changed the dance landscape forever, and whilst causing a sensation when it premiered, it has gone on to become the most successful dance theatre production of all time. It has toured the UK a total of five times, as well as having been performed across the world.
Despite my having attended several of Bourne’s New Adventures productions at Norwich Theatre Royal over the years, this was my first chance to experience the Swans up close and personal. And what an iconic sight they are, even if we do have to wait until Act 2 for those fourteen bare-chested male dancers to make their dramatic entrance.
Up until that moment it has been all-classic Bourne, gently poking fun at royalty and the society ‘season’, with the young prince brushing with paparazzi, and accompanied to the ballet by his ‘it-girl’ partner. After receiving a rebuke from The Queen the Prince heads for the dark corners and the anonymity of Swanks Bar, where the jazz music and shadows provide him with some cover and privacy.
Just before the interval, just as the Prince muses by the lake about calling it a day, the lead swan arrives, and the rest is history.
Visually the production is stunning, and the dancing remains beyond compare. Far from being a parody of Tchaikovsky’s romantic classic (some have criticised Bourne’s vision of Swan Lake as being frivolous), there is some serious critiquing of modern society being presented to us here, together with moments of irrepressible comedy and even a moment of Freudian revelation. The result is a ballet that, even thirty years on, continues to startle, amuse, impress and enthral. Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake has certainly become a ballet for The Next Generation.
