Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – Birmingham Hippodrome

This elegant old bird glides into the Hippodrome after swooping across the world for nearly thirty years and proves itself to be in turns vibrant engaging, compelling and comic. Matthew Bourne first envisioned and delivered his barn-storming creation to the world back in 1995 way before most of the cygnets in tonight’s performance were even hatched and it maintains and sustains its artistic integrity, vision and panache without a single feather out of place.

Bourne has given the world something stunningly unique and intelligent which remixes the familiar tropes and tunes of the Tchaikovsky ballet rearranges, reimagines and reupholsters them in a breathtakingly new, yet recognisable, manner using the swan imagery as a metaphor for our young princess’s sexual awakening coupled with a thrilling and truly dramatic love story. I was entranced and enthralled throughout. Our sleepless and confused young prince suffers restless dreams befriending a swan/man who shows him love and affection only to meet him again later when he has transformed to a human and (gasp) is flirting with the queen. We weren’t told who (and it’s impossible guess from the photos) but both roles were danced with consummate aplomb by either Harrison Dowzell or Jackson Fisch or Rory Macleod or James Lovell or Leonardo McCorkindale or Stephen Murray two of whom, if they read this review, will be shouting, “It was me!”

Etta Murfitt has re-staged Bourne’s original production and, unlike a lot of long running shows, this is not simply a pale imitation of the original production but throbs with palpable freshness and nowness. Les Brotherston’s noble set paired with Paul Constable’s moody lighting enhance and embellish what is already a gloriously endearing piece of theatre. Tchaikovsky’s sonorous, soulful score soars to the clouds with both music and images reaching a climactic crescendo in the final heart-breaking tableaux creating a truly undeniable coup de théâtre – an image which will resonant in your mind for a life time.

The evening, literally and figuratively, flies by and we’re left aesthetically thrilled, emotionally pummelled and spiritually nourished. Theatre in our world rarely gets better than this and it was an honour to see such a well-maintained rendition of the show deployed so adroitly, intelligently and kindly. I could bang on endlessly about it, but you really (really!) should see it for yourself. Moments like this happen far too rarely.

Reviewer: Peter Kinnock

Reviewed: 6^th February 2025

North West End UK Rating: