Review – Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake (30th Anniversary Tour) – Empire Theatre, Liverpool

Three decades of hindsight have proven that Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake was not controversial­­ —it was a seismic event in the theatre world. Long before the purists and dyed-in-the-wool critics had stopped hyperventilating and put away the smelling salts, it had become clear that what Bourne had done was something that had changed the face of ballet. His seamless blend of classical and contemporary techniques, coupled with bold and inventive storytelling, won over a new generation of audiences for dance — and then some.

The fact that Adam Cooper—who created the role of the lead swan in the premiere—was featured in the closing scenes of the film Billy Elliott just five years later is testament to how swiftly this visionary production became a classic, but it also hints at how much impact it had on the lives of would-be male dancers. This current 30th anniversary tour is subtitled ‘The Next Generation’ for good reason, with Bourne’s company New Adventures being a key player in nurturing new talent, much of which is on display onstage in this show. It’s worth noting that Cooper is now principal coach to the cast for this production.

Over successive revivals Bourne has honed and sharpened the work, tweaking and finessing, so that what we see in this tour feels as fresh and inventive as ever and, whilst the notion of a stage filled with a corps de ballet of male swans is no longer a surprise, it still never fails to send a shiver down the spine. Swans are graceful creatures with a fierce loyalty, but they have fierce tempers and formidable strength too. In the context of this story of forbidden love, betrayal and mental torment, the symbolism of the swans is a stroke of genius.

The plot is not really a re-working of Tchaikovsky’s work, nor the folk tales that are thought to have inspired it, but it certainly draws a great deal of inspiration from the original ballet. There are sufficient parallels in the narrative to enable us to see the thought processes behind the adaptation to a new piece of storytelling. It is so well done that even die-hard fans of Tchaikovsky’s radiant score barely notice the cuts and re-ordering of scenes that have been made to accommodate the new work.

And storytelling is the key to all of Bourne’s work, making that dramatic narrative as important as the dance. A Matthew Bourne ballet is a genuinely theatrical experience and it is possible, amidst Lez Brotherston’s spectacular sets and costumes, Duncan McLean’s subtle video projection and Paule Constable’s rich lighting, to almost forget that this is dance at all. Every movement in the choreography is there for a purpose, and the entire company use every sinew to tell a story.

On press night the Lead Swan and Stranger are danced by Jackson Fisch, and The Prince by Stephen Murray. Murray perfectly depicts the insecurity, loneliness and vulnerability of the Prince, as well as capturing his descent into mental anguish. Fisch is quite extraordinary in both parts of his dual role. The physical strength of his performance is perfect in both the aggressive, predatory nature of the stranger and the tender protectiveness of the swan, and it is impossible not to catch your breath seeing those seemingly effortless lifts.

There is wit and charm alongside the immaculate movement from Nicole Kabera and Bryony Wood as The Queen and The Girlfriend, and Cameron Flynn earns his curtain-call boos for his performance of the dastardly Private Secretary (this story’s incarnation of Von Rothbart).

But alongside this raft of extraordinary lead performances is a corps de ballet who are as immaculately coached and choreographed as you could imagine. Every step of Bourne’s movement is placed and timed to perfection. His signature blend of modern dance and classical ballet is as beautifully rendered here as in any of his works, and the movement of the swans in particular (accompanied by their occasional aggressive hissing) demonstrates how well his choreography works.

A friend of mine dubbed the show a masterpiece in their conversation last night, and there is no hyperbole at all in that. It is no mean feat to take one of the most well-loved classics in the repertoire, in a genre not previously noted for embracing change, reinvent it in such a radical way and get away with it. The miracle of this is that Bourne didn’t just get away with it – it has become one of the most successful ballet productions of all time, collecting plaudits and awards wherever it goes, and it still continues to do everything that it set out to do. But most of all it continues to attract audiences both old and, more importantly, new to the genre, as well as providing a showcase for some of the brightest talent.

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, the Next Generation, is at Liverpool Empire until Saturday 1st March (with tickets selling fast) then continues its anniversary tour with dates booking through to October.

Star rating: 5 stars

Production photographs by Johan Persson:

Jackson Fisch as the Lead Swan and Stephen Murray as the Prince with members of the company