Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at Birmingham Hippodrome Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Sheridan Brown
Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake The Next Generation has opened at the Birmingham Hippodrome, in a brand-new reimagining of the classic Tchaikovsky ballet. I was incredibly excited to be able to experience this new version, along with my husband, who has never been to a ballet before. Thirty years on from its Sadler’s Wells premier, this new performance, directed and choreographed by Bourne, is a celebration of the success and longevity of this monumental ballet classic. The cast is more than half made up of young people who have taken part in the New Adventures talent development programme.
We travelled to Birmingham by train and decided to walk the short distance from the grand concourse of New Street Station. The journey on foot took us about 5 minutes, but taxis are available if you don’t fancy the stroll. As always, Birmingham Hippodrome gave us a very warm welcome. The venue is a key part of Birmingham’s vibrant arts scene, hosting prestigious events and offering a diverse range of performances throughout the year. The theatre boasts a rich history and well known for its stunning Edwardian architecture. From the grand foyer to opulent auditorium, theatre-goers are treated to rich, well-maintained and accessible venue. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. They were proactive in making our experience easy and memorable.
We took our seats and enjoyed the buzz of excitement as other theatre-goers did the same. It felt like a full house. As the lights went down and the music started, we were treated to an animated shadow show of flying swans. This whetted our appetite of what was to come. Tchaikovsky’s music, first premiered in 1877, felt both familiar and fresh alongside the new visuals.
As the curtain rose, we were presented with the stark but opulent Prince’s bedroom, almost Brutalist in style. We were treated to our first interaction between the Prince (danced by James Lovell, Leonardo McCorkindale, or Stephen Murray) and the Swan (danced by Harrison Dowzell, Jackson Fisch or Rory Macleod). There was a mirroring of movements that continued as a motif throughout the performance.
Waking from his nightmare we observe his interactions with his mother, The Queen (danced by Nicole Kabera, Katrina Landon or Ashley Shaw). We see that he yearns for physical touch and affection; both of which are shockingly rejected. The Brutalist set reflects the coldness of her interactions with her son; the language of their movements simply tells of a troubled relationship. As the next few scenes unfold, we realise The Prince is unhappy, repressed and feels powerless in his role as a Royal. I’ve read that Bourne had the British Royal Family in mind as he first conceived the ballet in 1995.
As the scenes change, set design (Lez Brotherston) cleverly moves us to many locations; an opera house, a seedy club, even the city park. As the story concludes, we return to the Palace and the Prince’s bedroom where the ballet stunningly climaxes.
The costumes, also designed by Lez Brotherston, were genius. I loved the way individual costumes came together to enhance the story being told. An example of this is during Act 3, Scene 2, The Royal Ball, where the Queen removes her black cloak to reveal a scarlet gown. Her costume, in stark contrast to the rest of cast, all in black, shows us her true colours. I was also surprised by the unconventional footwear. Dancers were either wearing heels or were in bare feet.
The only dancers to wear pointes were in the ‘ballet-within-a-ballet’ at the Gala in Act 1, Scene 3. This was so much fun as the ‘traditional’ characters were clearly hamming it up! There was lots of humour in the ballet and we laughed out loud on many occasions; The Girlfriend’s, comedy timing (danced by Katrina Lyndon, Ashley Shaw or Bryony Wood) was superb. That said, this does not take away from the power and passion of the performance.
All said and done, the stand out performance of the production, for me, was that of the Swans. The choreography that captured swan-like movements and gestures was phenomenal. The costumes couldn’t have been more simple: feathered legs, bare arms that became wings and hands that became beaks. Head and leg movements all captured the species perfectly. And The Swan, himself, was magnificent. He exuded charisma, sensuality and dominance in equal measure. My stand-out moment, from the show was when the Prince and the Swan came together, The Prince wrapped himself around the torso of The Swan, almost in foetal position. I was reminded of the coldness of the Queen and I asked myself if The Prince’s longing was sexual desire or the need for love and acceptance. As I turned to my husband he was visibly choked by the interaction. When we spoke about it after the performance, his voice cracked with the emotion of it all.
The curtain came down to a genuine and loudly applauded standing ovation. I felt emotionally wrecked, but it was worth every minute. Truly fabulous!
Rating: 5/5
Tickets from £26
Remaining shows are bookable from www.birminghamhippodrome.com