Matthew Bourne
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Bourne Resides at Sadler’s Wells, Revives Car Man

Director-choreographer Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures will become a resident company at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, where it’s had a long association, not least with annual Christmas engagements, including this year’s six-week return of Bourne’s legendary staging of Swan Lake, with its all-male corps of swans (See News, 6 Sep 2006).

The new association will be celebrated next July with a revival of Bourne’s 2000 Bizet-inspired dance thriller The Car Man, which will have four weeks at Sadler’s Wells as part of an 18-week UK-wide tour. Next July also marks 20 years of “Adventures” for Bourne (pictured). His first company, Adventures in Motion Pictures (AMP) - which he ran with producer Katharine Dore and which created much-lauded works including the original mountings of his Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Cinderella, The Car Man and others - was formed in 1986 but had its first performance in July 1987 at London’s Laban Centre.

In August 2001, Bourne announced his solo outfit, New Adventures, which in addition to new airings for Swan Lake and Nutcracker! to date, has premiered Bourne's Edward Scissorhands and his double Olivier Award-winning Play Without Words. Independent of his dance company, Bourne has found award-winning success choreographing musicals including Children of Eden, Oliver!, My Fair Lady, South Pacific and, currently in the West End and opening on Broadway next month, Mary Poppins (which he also co-directed with Richard Eyre).

Bourne’s relationship with Sadler’s Wells dates back to 1992 when he presented the London premiere of Nutcracker! there. He followed that with premieres of Highland Fling (1994) and Swan Lake (1995). New Adventures has had its office base at the theatre since 2002, while Bourne was appointed an associated artist of Sadler’s Wells last year. Currently employing 70 dancers, New Adventures will be the second company residing at Sadler’s Wells; it joins Wayne McGregor’s Random Dance Company there.

Swan Lake runs at Sadler’s Wells from 14 December 2006 (preview 13 December) to 21 January 2007. Full dates have not yet been announced for the return of The Car Man.

- by Terri Paddock

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