Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – The Next Generation is ridiculously stunning – I am not sure I have the words to describe how magnificently exquisite this production was, it has almost left me speechless, and that’s not quite because there were sections where I was unsure what has happening!
Pure dancing incredibleness against a lavish, high production glamourous set and marvellous costumes. A banquet for the eyes.
The promotional text:
“Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake returns for its 30th anniversary with a 2024/25 UK tour. This audacious reinvention of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece caused a sensation when it premiered almost 30 years ago and has since become the most successful dance theatre production of all time
Thrilling, bold, witty and emotive, this genre-defining event is still best known for replacing the female corps-de-ballet with a menacing male ensemble, which shattered convention, turning tradition on its head.”
Definitely Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake but certainly not as we know it. Of course the music was amazing, we don’t need to talk about that, I’ll mention the storyline as best I can as it does lead into the dancing. For me it was in three rough sections. Section one was the build-up and setting the scene of the life of the Prince and his mother, the Queen, who, as expected live their lives lavishly yet having to attend many events as part of their status. This section was very tangible, easy to follow, humorous and telling a simple story through wonderful dancing.
The middle section is dreamlike and at times a nightmare where the Prince encounters a cob, a dominant male swan, the leader of the pack, where he is enchanted by a spell which brings them together in a heightened emotional state which can only be described as a love, perhaps a toxic love. This dramatic, passionate dancing is phenomenal. A large group of male swans performing amazing choreography is a joy to watch, their physicality was astonishing.
The final section was the drama unfolding at the Royal Ball where the cob, as a human, gate-crashed and caused chaos. This was depicted with elements of tango movements to enhance the drama. The ending was also sensational.
As you can tell, the whole performance was dramatic, emotional and passionate. There was a wonderful influence of dancing styles, whichever suited the story, it was nice to see that no limits were placed on the genres chosen. The choreography was stunning, depicting the movement of the swans was subtle yet effective. The set and costumes were glossy, classy and impressive.
However, it was, no doubt, the performers who stunned the audience. They were all amazing and I don’t want to detract from their skills, yet the two male leads were astounding. You couldn’t take your eyes off them. There was a standing ovation at the end of the night and the clapping and cheering went on for a while.
It was an incredible show, it’s no wonder it has been popular for 30 years and I am thankful I have been able to see it.
Touring information can be found here.
The storyline of Matthew Bourne’s version can be found here and would be useful to read if you go.
