Swan Lake

Synopsis

One of ballet's most famous works with some of its best known music. It is Siegfried's birthday and his mother gives him a crossbow and an ultimatum to get married! After the party and finding himself alone he goes hunting. The evil magician Rothbart (half man half bird) keeps beautiful women as swans on the lake - but by night they resume human form. Siegfried is bewitched by Odette, a Princess and one of the Swans. She explains their plight to Siegfried and says the spell can only be broken by someone who'll love her truly for ever. He swears to do so but Odette returns to being a swan as Rothbart's powers are so strong. Siegfried returns to the palace and his mother presents him with a string of women from whom to chose his bride - Rothbart arrives with his daughter Odile disguised as Odette and Siegfried agrees to marry her - only then realising his mistake as Odile reviles him for breaking his vow to Odette. Siegfried returns to the lake and begs Odette to forgive him - then fights Rothbart whom he kills - and the swans are released from the spell.

Our Review:

2 March 2010

Beautiful, outstanding, unique, raw, noteworthy and exhilarating. There are never enough superlatives to describe Matthew Bourne's ground-breaking classic. He is the definitive choreographer of our era, whose quirkiness and creativity continue to inspire in yet another five- star touring production.

For a show that was programmed to run for a two week season at Sadler’s Wells, followed by a UK tour, Swan Lake has defied expecations. Now in its 15th year, it is a polished perfection in dance-theatre, selling out to devoted audiences all across the country.

This is not the traditional Swan Lake, renowned for its female corps de ballet, although Tchaikovsky’s original score does still remain.  Here, every swan is male, bearing strong, exposed chests and wearing white, feathered breaches. Here, ballet is just one mere style amongst elements of Latin American, contemporar...

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