On the eve of the world premiere of Matthew Bourne’s ‘Dorian Gray’ at the King's Theatre on 22 August 2008, 11,212 people had already booked to see it, and was confirmed as the biggest selling dance show ever staged at the Edinburgh International Festival. Bourne’s dance company, New Adventures creates revitalised, modern versions of classic ballets – Nutcracker!, (premiered at the EIF 1992), The Car Man, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and the radical, gender-breaking, Swan Lake (1995) which was an overnight sensation.
This multi-award winning legendary show (the longest running ballet in London and on Broadway) is now on a 30th anniversary UK tour. ‘As our swans take flight once more in this major revival, I’m full of anticipation for the wonder that it will bring to audiences who will experience it for the very first time’. Matthew Bourne
The fantasy of this reimagined German folktale begins with the delightful animation of slender swans swooping in slow motion across the backdrop. The screen rises to reveal the Prince’s bedroom, where he appears distraught and trapped like a caged bird, brusquely ignoring all requests by his mother, the gracious but cold hearted Queen. At the Palace, she is totally involved in regal routine of the day, proudly presenting medals, unveiling her Warhol-esque portrait, and hosting a grand reception.
Amongst the guests, the Prince’s girlfriend parades in a pink, frou-frou mini dress as an Instagram-snapping Influencer; accompanying the Royal family to the Opera to see a comical melodrama, she is totally unconcerned and oblivious to follow formal etiquette. The dysfunctional relationship between a petulant Prince, his badly behaved girlfriend and the Queen, could be viewed as a subtle satire of Prince Harry & Meghan Markle in bitter combat with King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The action gets going in sassy style at the Swank bar with its iconic logo of Swan Vesta matches. In this seedy Soho club, a rather bored transvestite stripper entertains while the happy drinkers dressed in sequin sparkle, hit the floor for a spot of dirty dancing. The focus is on the inebriated Prince, jiving away with slick, smooth choreographic moves, synchronising with the amazing ‘jazzy’ melodic beat of Tchaikovsky’s score.
With bent railings and towering buildings on each side, the city park is illuminated by soft moonlight, glistening on the water of a tranquil lake. Here the Prince sits wearily on a bench, lost and alone. Then, out of the shadows, The Stranger, a white feathered Swan prances in preening manner, until a bevy of swans flock around him, protective of the leader of the herd. Bending one winged arm over their heads, they swoop and swirl with both elegant grace and macho antagonism, hissing loudly, stamping and scratching their feet on the ground ready for a fight.
Both fearful of and fascinated by the Stranger’s magnetic power, in an intimate pas de deux the Prince expresses a tangible emotional connection, intoxicated by his wild, free-spirited nature. However, in contrast to the open space of the traditional lakeside, the park is too enclosed in this urban setting as Swans try to sprint sprightly in circles, but constrained by the surrounding stone arches.
At the Palace, a Grand Ball is a glamorous affair, the men in bow ties, velvet jacket, tail coats, and seven Princesses in slinky black evening gowns. The Stranger (aka Odile, the deceptive, dangerous black swan), gate crashes the party, flirting outrageously with the ladies including the Queen parading in a gorgeous red frock. Seething with jealousy, the Prince observes this tête-à-tête seduction with increasing rage, until he joins in a competitive dance-off, a fierce tango in tuxedos.
Leonardo McCorkindale reflects the Prince’s tortured soul and fragile vulnerability, challenged by the Stranger’s enigmatic sexuality, crisply and cooly portrayed by Rory Macleod with provocative, majestic charm. Their dramatic duet-duels are performed with such lithe athleticism, elongated limbs in perfect arabesque postures, eyes locked in a sensual embrace. A surreal, mythological aura pervades the atmosphere like the swirling mist over the lake as we observe the Prince drawn into this bewitching dream, turning into a nightmare of deceit, despair and madness.
While the thrilling spectacle of seeing Bourne’s Swan Lake in 1996 cannot be repeated on the third encounter, this revival by an enthusiastic young company of dancers dazzles with electrifying energy, passion and panache.
Having seen most of his dynamic dance works over the years, Matthew Bourne is a theatrical wizard at reinventing the classics into modern masterpieces with intelligent storytelling, exquisite choreography, satirical wit and colourfully artistic imagination.
Showtimes:
Tue 8 – Sat 12 Apr 2025
Evening: 7.30pm; Thurs, Sat mat: 2.30pm.
Ticket price: from £29.50 (discounts and concessions)
More Information and ticket details: Book here.
UK tour: https://www.new-adventures.net/swan-lake#overview