Nottingham Concert Hall – until Wednesday 14 January 2026
Reviewed by Louise Ford
4****
Start the year with elegance, grace and romance.
The 2026 UK tour started in Manchester and finishes in Torquay in March. There are 23 venues throughout the UK and the program covers three of perhaps the most well known ballets, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Cinderella. In Nottingham there are two performances of Swan Lake and one of The Nutcracker. The production is by Raymond Gubbay Ltd.
The Varna International Ballet, based in Varna in Bulgaria, emerged from the Varna State Opera in 1948. The ballet troupe was developed by Galina and Stefan Yordanov over a 25 year period. The world famous Varna International Ballet Competition was founded in 1964. The opera and ballet and theatre combined in 2010. The Artistic Director of the Varna Ballet is Sergei Bobrov, he has a long association with the company and has been their Chief Ballet Master since 2022.
Looking at the details of the company I was struck not only by how young they all are but also how international they are. The eldest is only 29! Their youthfulness gives a lightness and energy to the whole production.
The company is supported by their own orchestra which is conducted by Azat Maksutov. The live orchestra is an absolute bonus for the production and really enhances the whole experience.
Swan Lake was composed by Tchaikovsky between 1875 and 1878. It was initially performed by the Bolshoi. Rather surprisingly it was initially deemed a failure as the music was considered too complex for a ballet. There was a posthumous revival in 1895 and the rest as they say is history. Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake was originally written as a romantic tragedy however over the years there have been many variations. In this performance we are treated to a happy ending with love conquering evil.
The stage at the Concert Hall is quite modern but with the clever use of rich colours, curtains and sets, it is transformed into a grand opera house. This is the perfect showcase for this traditional ballet. The curtains open and we see a backdrop which is a video screen or projection, this adds an extra dimension to the dancing on stage and lifts the whole production.
Swan Lake is a ballet in two acts; it is the story of a Princess (Odette performed by Andrea Conforti) who has been cursed by an evil sorcerer (Baron von Rothbart performed by Lorenzo Poggianti ) and turned into a swan. The opening scene is where we first meet Prince Siegfried (Timofei Fedotov), he is reading a story of the cursed princess, which is simultaneously projected onto the back drop.
We move away from the mysterious lake to the palace where a party is being held by the Prince and his friend Benno von Somerstein (performed by Pedro Solana). There is lots of carefree dancing and drinking and general high jinks. The party is interrupted by the arrival of Siegfried’s mother (performed by Veronica Juan). She dispairs about his carefree lifestyle and advises him that he must choose a bride at the upcoming ball.
Siegfried escapes to the quiet of the lake with his friend Benno, the two get separated and Siegfried meets the swan accompanied by her swan maidens (Maiju Marvaila and Mar Bestard Gaya ). The swans glide captivatingly across the lake and one of them transforms into a human. Siegfried falls in love with Odette but by morning she transforms back into a swan.
Act two starts with the sumptuous ball in the palace . We meet the various suitors for Siegfried, the Hungarian bride (Maiju Marvaila), the Neapolitan bride (Aurora Damele), Spanish bride (Roberta Estrela) and the Polish bride (Bianca Lo Sacco). They all perform impressive solo dances which showcase their talents.
The jesters (Rebecca Grana, Alba Barrasa, Lucretia Mancinelli and Iris Gurabardhi), add a lightness and mischievous element to the stage
Siegfried dances with each of the potential suitors but he refuses to choose one as his bride. He is ceased by an anxious premonition and sees Odette amongst a group of black and white swans. But this is not Odette but Odile, the evil sourcerer’s daughter. Siegfried is captivated and chooses her as his bride. The deal is sealed by a ring placed on her finger by Siegfried.
Just before the proposal is blessed by his mother, Siegfried sees a white swan beating against the window and he realises his mistake. He runs from the palace towards the lake. There he sees a white swan surrounded by black swans, Siegfried rushes to her begging her forgiveness, but it seems too late. Odette is at the mercy of the evil sorcerer and can never be with Siegfried. The tension builds as a storm breaks over the lake. Odette prepares to die in the water when suddenly the waves engulf the evil sorcerer and Siegfried rescues Odette. The Prince and Odette are happy together as the swans dance on the lake by moonlight. The curse is lifted and they live happily ever after.