Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, The Lyric- Plymouth Theatre Royal

I have never seen the original Swan Lake, although I am very aware of the most famous scenes. I am definitely a fan of the music, and so I was looking forward to seeing Matthew Bourne's take on this traditional tale.



Although I had only managed to obtain a standing ticket, I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. It was dramatic, beautifully danced, included different types of dance and contemporary themes. The costumes were absolutely stunning. In particular I enjoyed the way the Queen's white gown flowed with her movements, making her appear serene and cold.

I actually think that the subtext of the story was enhanced by using an all-male cast of swans. I felt that the intimate dances between the prince and the head-swan were not, as my friends had interpreted them, romantic. Rather, I felt that the Prince had found a swan within himself, and felt a passion for it. The swan representing the freedom which he so craved, as he tipped over the edge of sanity.

I would recommend this show to anyone with an open mind. I would not recommend sitting in a seat with 'restricted view', as my friends were unable to see the vast majority of the performance and indeed missed some humerous raunchy human statues. I would also recommend this for both males and females as the all-male swan cast gives a power to the performance which dainty swans surely could not, yet they remained inexplicably graceful.

8.5/10