Review: Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, Birmingham Hippodrome
It’s been 30 years since Matthew Bourne caused a storm in the dance world by replacing the traditional serene and graceful corps-de-ballet with a hissing, powerful and menacing male ensemble in his groundbreaking re-invention of the classic Swan Lake ballet.
The iconic white feather breeches of the feral gang of swans are now an accepted alternative to the traditional tutus but the vein of rebellion in the production by Bourne’s New Adventures pulsates as strongly as ever.
The secret of keeping the by-now familiar version of the classic ballet fresh is Bourne’s subtle tinkering, while retaining the sharp and witty style which exemplifies his work.
The sinister and sexually-charged undertone of the production is punctuated with wit, humour and pathos, crossing boundaries between classical and contemporary dance.
Bourne’s choreography is both earnest and fun, frenzied and fanciful.
