Bristol Hippodrome – until 16 March 2019
Reviewed by Lucy Hitchcock
4****
Matthew Bourne’s stunning interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s classic ‘Swan Lake’ hits Bristol Hippodrome this week and is an absolute must see!!
The story, told entirely through the medium of dance and music, depicts a young prince (James Lovell) who is desperately rejected by his mother (Katrina Lyndon) and finds love in The Swan (Will Bozier). The audience are not sure whether the Swan is a figment of the Prince’s imagination or whether he is truly there, but the magic and mystique that brings is part of the appeal.
The entire company were flawless, showing extreme control and precision over every movement during the production. A move as simple as an eyebrow raise, a finger wag or a turned corner of a mouth added to the performance and those small movements were powerful enough to change the tone of the act. Freya Field as The Girlfriend, a highly inappropriate character who finds herself as one with Royalty was an expert at delivering these small movements. Her facial expressions combined with her elegance and grace in dance made for a truly enjoyable and comedic performance. James Lovell and Will Bozier as the Prince and Swan were electric. Their chemistry onstage was phenomenal and showed the expertise of Matthew Bourne’s casting and perfect choreography. Bozier excelled during this production and showed his talents perfectly. He moved with ease, danced with grace and had posture to die for! He encapsulated the audience and took us through the hauntingly beautiful piece step by step, eventually climaxing at the tragic ending. A very talented performer who was unrivalled. Act 2, ‘A City Park’ was outstanding. Every male dancer in the company became a Cygnet and had movements perfectly in sync and were gliding across the stage like the beautiful swans they were portraying.
Les Brotherston and Paule’s Constable’s Set and Lighting designs were amazing. Each small change of light enhanced this already beautiful story and the set was outstanding. Another addition to the stage from Brotherston was the little toy corgi. This mechanical Corgi brought such joy to the audience and it was so pleasing to see this ‘walk’ across the stage-it showed that the little details truly make a big impact.
If you were near the Hippodrome and need to immerse yourself in a beautiful piece, this is the one for you.