As someone who has been an avid theatre fan for many , many years I have to admit that Ballet is not an art form I am particularly familiar with. Apart from a previous Matthew Bourne production of Edward Scissorhands (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/03/21/edward-scissorhands-production-review/) I have not attended many ballet productions but if the previous and current shows are anything to go by , I definitely need to broaden my experience with this genre. Matthew Bourne’s adaptation of the iconic Swan Lake documents the life of a prince (played by the amazing Stephen Murray)who , under heavy influence from his mother the queen , aims to find a potential suitor. Through this courting process the prince encounters a mesmerising male swan (played by the incredibly talented Jackson Fisch) who is a representation of everything that the repressed prince wants to be. What is particularly unique about this show is the fact that Matthew and the team have decided to cast male dancers in the role of traditionally female swans which allows for a heavy focus on the ideas of masculinity , identity and societal exceptions which adds an extra layer of meaning to this already captivating show. Those who are familiar with the art form of ballet will be aware that these types of show are told entirely though the medium of dance and so do not contain any form of dialogue or spoken communication. With this in mind and the fact that Matthew Bourne had adapted the show (with the very important aforementioned themes) means that it did take me a little while to fully understand the plot of this show. I would recommend that people who are attending for this show do some research of the plot prior to seeing the show so that they can focus on the displays of dance excellency rather than trying to piece the story together as the show is going on. You can fairly quickly understand what the talented dancers are trying to convey but I personally think that some prior knowledge would help the audience pay full attention to how truly talented the cast of this production truly are!
One of my favourite scenes in this production saw the royal family take a potential suitor (played flawlessly by the amazing Katrina Lyndon) to the theatre to watch a ballet production. Despite not having seen many ballet productions previously , I was aware of the prestige and legacy of Swan Lake so I went in knowing that I would see an array of incredible dance talent but I was not expecting to be wowed by the incredible set designs used throughout. The royal family took there seats in a theatre-style box next to an open stage where they then watched a show within the show which not only helped to keep the focus on the royals (and particularly the girlfriend) but help the audience easily follow both performances at the same time. It was obvious to the audience that the performers within this meta production made the conscious decision to be so over the top and extravagant which was met with roars of laughter from the viewers at the Wales Millennium Centre. Additionally this also made total sense within Swan Lake as ‘the girlfriend’ could be seen constantly reacting (in an non-royal way) to the performers including loudly laughing , obnoxiously flicking through the programme during the show , dropping her purse onto the stage and even having her phone go off during a pivotal moment of the show. This character throughout had a certain air of Madison in Zombieland: double tap (which you can read our review of at https://rhysreviews.com/2019/11/09/zombieland-double-tap-review/) which was not only hilarious but also beautifully contrasted with the uptight nature of the royal family and the strict expectations they are expected to follow.
My favourite dance sequence in this production however occurred after the prince had discovered a mysterious flock of swans and they form an instant connection with one swan in particular (played by the wonderful Jackson Fisch.) What I thought was particularly clever about this sequence was the fact that on top of incredible ballet being showcased , the choreography also contained a series of swan-inspired posses that really fitted well with that moment in the show. When the prince and the swan finally get the opportunity to dance together the magic truly started! This sequence was constructed in such a way that the audience could clearly see the prince go from being insanely hesitant to totally embracing his suppressed feelings as he began dancing with the mysterious swan. Both Stephen Murray and Jackson Fisch (as the prince and the swan respectively) clever have fantastic chemistry both on and off stage as they worked flawlessly together. This tender and powerful sequence really captured the freedom of giving yourself over to the feelings that the prince had spent so long ignoring. This significant moment was not only a turning point in this character’s trajectory but also helped to build immense amounts of sympathy towards the characters which was especially amplified in the closing moments of the show!
Overall , Matthew Bourne’s production of Swan Lake was a powerful and captivating version of the classic tale with a some very welcome additions. Going into this show I was expecting an incredible display of ballet (which was absolutely delivered) but I was not expecting a perfect injection of comedy throughout the show. The addition of ‘the girlfriend’ character not only provided the welcomed comedic moments but also appealed to the less ballet familiar audience members (like myself.) The fact that the cast and crew of this production were able to capture this fantastical show entirely through the medium of dance was incredibly impressive and I constantly found myself in awe of the insane talent being displayed. I would rate this production 5 out of 5 stars!
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