Last night I went to see Matthew Bourne's production of Swan Lake.
I'd forgotten quite how wonderful it was: Sassy, witty, sexy, sensual, violent, it's a fabulous interpretation of the story. It's also a rare thing - a huge commercial success (it's 20 years old and still being performed to packed auditoria) with artistic merit.
Whilst ballet purists may not appreciate Bourne's appropriation of more modern styles of dance or his cultural references, it can't be suggested that the use of all-male swans is merely a gimick. The story is twisted, and the swans become much more swan like: graceful, yes, but aggressive and violent too.
And, of course, Tchaikovsky's score is magical.
Enjoy!
Andrew
P.S. You can see a bit more here.
1 comment:
Even though I watched the original version of this when it was on telly about 15(?) years ago - and which, I believe has since been radically revised - I'd love to see it again live. Bourne's is a version that successfully creates the stir it was designed to, though not just for its own sake. It's a fundamental and refreshing re-think. I wonder if this production has ever travelled to Russia, and would it now fall foul of their current, hateful 'anti-promotion' legislation?
Btw: Great commiserations to you on your recent political attempt. It could hardly have been closer. Just a small handful more would have done it. I looked up the result on Friday and was about to send you an e-mail offering my sentiments but then found that your address had fallen off my records (part of a casualty of a computer repair I had done last year, though I've still got Stephen's for some reason).
But I'm sure your close-to-calling experience is going to leave you undaunted and you're going to have another go. After all, you did very nearly pull it off, which is quite some going. (If only we'd had PR!)
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