Mayflower Theatre Southampton – until 23 February 2019
Reviewed by Jo Gordon
5*****
Despite Matthew Bournes Swan Lake doing the rounds for a little over 2 decades now, I’d never seen it before this evening and how I regret that! When it first hit the stage back in 1995 it caused quite the controversy amongst the classical Swan Lake lovers due to the use of an all male Swan ensemble, same sex love and a cheeky comedic streak but others fell in love with it for those very reasons.
A very modern version of the handsome Prince (Dominic North) falling in love with a Swan (Max Westwell), set to the classical music of Tchaikovsky we follow the story of a modern day prince repressed by his unmaternal Mother – the Queen (Katrina Lyndon) and the slightly dodgy aide (Glenn Graham) always at her side. Becoming increasingly unhappy with life and his very unsuitable (yet hilariously funny) girlfriend (Carrie Wilis) the Prince considers taking his own life but is saved by an encounter with the Swan he sees in his dreams. Life seems so much better until the royal ball when a stranger (on a par with original Swan Lakes Black swan) arrives ruffling many feathers amongst the courtiers and the Queen, ending with the Prince being placed into confinement at his mothers request.
The comical side of the current “fame” culture, and the rough end of the paparazzi treatment add a fresh dimension which we will all recognise and brings the production into the now. The sight of fourteen, strong yet fluid and graceful male swans will keep you fixated towards the stage. The duets between the Prince and the Swan are divine, showing a vulnerability between them and a deep running love. As the stranger, Westwell plays to the darker side of the character and the movements are more predatory and cold. The whole company dance superbly and each have their own character shining through.
As we near the end of act 4 and Tchaikovsky’s well known Swan Lake is building, you will get goose bumps, your hairs will stand on end and by the close you will be a soggy emotional mess with a wet face blaming it on the non existent air conditioning. Simply emotively beautiful.