LONDON COLISEUM – UNTIL 8th SEPTEMBER 2024
REVIEWED BY JACKIE THORNTON
4****
The unmistakable, haunting melody of the oboe brings the expectant packed house at
London’s largest West End theatre into Tchaikovsky’s magical world of Swan Lake 147 years after it was first performed in Russia. Now it’s in the hands of the State Ballet of Georgia, restaged by Alexey Fadeechev and Nina Ananiashvii (regularly cited as one of the greatest ballerinas of our time) and conducted by Papuna Gvaberidze, who ensure it maintains a strong sense of tradition, familiarity and nostalgia.
Indeed, its music and imagery are so iconic and embedded in culture that it’s hard not to be stirred by the wondrous Swan Maidens in glimmering white, even if they are symbolic of the ultimate, feminine beauty and virginal purity.
Swan Lake tells the tale of enchanted love between a Swan Maiden, Odette, and a handsome Prince, and their battle with the evil sorcerer, Rothbart, and his daughter
Odile.
Act One, Scene two, often referred to as the White Act, takes place at night and makes simple use of silvery trees flanking a lake with a pale moon backdrop, allowing the bodies of the swans to take supreme precedence and capture our imaginations. Clever lighting coupled with the mirror-like stage floor succeed marvellously in creating the illusion of duplicating hologram swans, legs and arms dividing and merging with each swift movement. It was stunning and the highlight for this reviewer.
Playing Swan Lake’s leading role of Odette/Odile is the pinnacle of any prima ballerina’s career and Chloe Misseldine had the audience in raptures with her impressive fouettés ronde jambe en tour tournant. The endless turns were enough to make one feel slightly queasy but her talent and skill is undeniable. Michal Krčmář as Prince Seigfried glided across the stage with strength, agility and prowess and Filippo Montanari cut such a brilliant villain as Baron Von Rothbart that he drew pantomime boos from the audience
There has been some controversy over the years regarding the ending of Swan Lake and it’s generally up to the choreographer to choose whether it’s a happy or sad one. As for whether this production goes for the tragic or fairytale ending, you’ll have to go along and discover for yourselves.