Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-GB
X-NONE
X-NONE
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:”Cambria”,”serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
Plymouth Theatre Royal, October 12-26
WHEN Billy Elliot springs onto the stage in the final scene, it is undeniably an iconic moment. Not only is he dancing away from the stigma of his society, but also the shattered relationships of his hometown, and the loss which has rocked his family. The ballet he so eloquently participates in is Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, a performance which, although controversial, is a stunning interpretation of the classic Russian Ballet.
Dubbed a ‘miracle’ by Time Out magazine, this is a modern take on the traditional story. In the original, a prince falls in love with a swan – a princess – who has been cursed by an evil witch. Instead of this classic storyline however, Bourne’s take is homoerotic and most famously features a bevy of male swans in place of the classic female group.
The story begins with a depiction of the Prince’s life – his sheltered upbringing, and participation in court etiquette. Unable to form functioning relationships, and denied the love of his mother, he is driven to despair and turns to drink. On the brink of throwing himself into a lake, however, he is intercepted by a flock of swans. Falling in love with their beauty, his obsession with his encounter goes on to shape his relationships for the rest of the play, controlling his life and driving him to the point of madness.
Bourne’s take is very loosely based on the original narrative, although it can hardly be described as a ballet at all – there was only one scene in which pointe shoes were used, and this was a satirical play-within-a-play. Instead, it is more an interpretive, contemporary dance, with the inclusion of ballet techniques.
A particularly striking feature which was prominent throughout was the use of shadow, especially within the mental asylum where the Prince is surrounded by illusions and visions. Tchaikovsky’s eerie and haunting musical score (one of the only things preserved from the original ballet) is one of the highlights, although it would have been nice to have this performed by a real orchestra.
Image credit: Theatre Royal Plymouth
Throughout the past 18 years of production, Bourne’s Swan Lake has deliberately been left ambiguous, and this was no less evident in this performance. Do the swans express the love the Prince is starved of by his cold, unwavering mother? Is the passionate dance in which he engages with the male swan so intensely a sexual relationship, his mental instability, a figment of his imagination, or an expression of freedom? This is left open to the audience’s interpretation. Although Bourne has described the performance as “a duet about the need to be loved, not particularly sexual” this feature is emphasised, with whips, touchy-feely dances and insinuations throughout; definitely inappropriate for the young children in the audience!
A particularly striking moment was the scene in which the swan (disguised as an exotic stranger) shatters the already fragile relationship between the Prince and his mother. In a final, painful act of betrayal, the Queen, a figure whom the Prince so earnestly wanted to be loved by, but who constantly rejected his attentions, so quickly and freely gives her love to another man and a stranger, no less.
The only criticism I have of the performance is the ‘clubbing’ scene. I was not the only one to find the bumping and grinding to Tchaikovsky’s orchestration a little weird, to say the least. The addition of the ‘girlfriend’ – the prince’s only true relationship apart from his mother’s, with her long blonde extensions and WAG-like persona – was also a character that was lost on me.
Ending with a deafening five minute standing ovation to a packed theatre, this can truly be described as a modern classic. It expresses a growing liberal outlook in current society, and is beautifully and powerfully executed. Even if you do not like ballet, this is much less like a dance and more like a sequence of complex human emotions, and if even that does not change your mind, at least go for the clenched buttocks!
****
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-GB
X-NONE
X-NONE
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:”Cambria”,”serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
Rebecca Cron, Senior Arts Reporter
Follow @exeposearts on Twitter and like us on Facebook here.
exeposedev 