Matthew Bourne Archives - North West End UK

12Apr

By Coral MourantNo Comments

North West

Mary Poppins – Palace Theatre

Disney’s magical nanny is back delighting audiences all over the UK, and children (even the big kids) are bound to leave the theatre with a smile on their face. Based on the book series by P.L. Travers, this production by Disney Theatricals in collaboration with Sir Cameron Mackintosh, first took the West End by storm over twenty years ago. But just the same as its movie adaptation, I believe that this version is ultimately timeless. The Banks family wish for a nanny to fix all their problems, Jane wants someone fairly pretty, Michael wants someone to play games with, and their parents just want one to stay. Blown in by the wind, the “practically perfect” Mary Poppins appears and takes us all on an amazing adventure filled with colour, magic and a song or two. The twelve-piece orches...

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – Festival Theatre

10Apr

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – Festival Theatre

Having previously been swept away by Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet and the haunting brilliance of Edward Scissorhands, I knew to expect something bold, something unexpected. But nothing quite prepares you for Swan Lake – The Next Generation. This isn’t just another reinterpretation of a classic – it’s the jewel in Bourne’s already glittering crown. Now in its 30th anniversary revival, Bourne’s audacious take on Swan Lake has lost none of its bite. If anything, this latest incarnation feels sharper, more intimate and emotionally resonant than ever. From the moment the curtain lifted at the Festival Theatre, there was an electricity in the air – the kind that only comes when something truly iconic is about to unfold. For those unfamiliar, Bourne's Swan Lake made waves in 1995 for...

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – Liverpool Empire

26Feb

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – Liverpool Empire

Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures company returns to revive the timeless classic ‘Swan Lake’ on the 30th Anniversary Tour. Bourne names the production ‘next generation’ for a distinct reason. This production brought Swan Lake into the new age, which included amending characters to reflect a truthful modern-day production (such as the prominent character of the Swan/The Stranger being played by a male performer rather than female, executed seamlessly by Jackson Fisch). If you attend the show expecting to see an exact replica of the original Swan Lake, this show might not be for you, however it may just be even better. As the house lights dimmed and the show began, I was thrilled to hear the addition of a live orchestra for this production, which was a treat. There is something so specia...

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – Birmingham Hippodrome

8Feb

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

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 thri...

Edward Scissorhands – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

16May

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Edward Scissorhands – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Matthew Bourne's ballet adaptation of Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands made its much-anticipated return to the stage on the opening night at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh. Bourne's instinct for selecting iconic stories to adapt aligns perfectly with his choreographic finesse. Originally conceived in 2005 and revived periodically since, Bourne's rendition stars Liam Mower as our protagonist Edward, a tragic figure left incomplete with scissors for hands following his creator's sudden death. Mower's portrayal captures the essence of Johnny Depp's iconic performance, as he takes us along Edward's journey from perplexed isolation to communal acceptance, vibrantly accompanied by an ensemble of archetypes and eccentrics. The ballet unfolds against a backdrop of 1950s suburbia, skilfull...

24Apr

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Edward Scissorhands – Hull New Theatre

The 1927 song “I Danced With A Man, Who Danced With A Girl, Who Danced With The Prince of Wales”, refers to the oft-desired human condition of forging connections with famous people - however remote those connections may be. Well, I possibly suffer from the same condition and can claim family folklore has revealed that my nephew’s daughter’s mum is Liam Mower’s cousin. Impressive eh? Mower, for those not in the know, has the lead role of Edward Scissorhands in Matthew Bourne’s magical dance production of the same name, which began a run at the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday night. As I took my seat, I wondered if the Hull-born dancer’s performance would cut it (pun intended) with his home crowd. I needn’t have worried, he was stupendous. And that goes for everyone on stage that ni...

22Feb

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Edward Scissorhands – Empire Theatre

A magical production that is simply stunning! There is nothing like seeing a live ballet and when Matthew Bourne is the choreographer you know it will not disappoint. He is a magician of imagination and originality, bringing stories to life for contemporary audiences. Tim Burton’s gothic fantasy Edward Scissorhands, was a strange, yet hauntingly beautiful fairytale, which came to the cinema in the 1990s. Bourne developed this bittersweet story, and it was first performed in 2005 with subsequent tours. Despite seeing many of his other magnificent ballets, this was my first time seeing Scissorhands - and it was simply stunning! Bourne works his magic once again, to give us an enchanting visual feast for the eyes, as well as really bringing out the comedy moments, which the packed ho...

Edward Scissorhands – Birmingham Hippodrome

7Feb

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Edward Scissorhands – Birmingham Hippodrome

Matthew Bourne’s buoyant, yet tender, tale of acceptance and difference arrives at the Birmingham Hippodrome to a rousing audience welcome adding to the growing list of shows about inclusivity and understanding, “Everyone Talking About Jamie”, “Billy Elliot” etc which British audiences seem to adore and welcome with open arms. For those who don’t know, the ballet first emerged as a film by Tim Burton, a director known for championing odd, quirky and ultimately endearing tales of equally odd, quirky and ultimately endearing characters with Edward Scissorhands being, perhaps, one of the oddest. The 1990 gothic fantasy romance (as Wikipedia terms it covering as many bases as possible in an attempt to describe it) provided a great vehicle for Johnny Depp drawing on the director’s feelings of i...

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake will return for its 30th anniversary with a 2024-25 UK tour

18Jan

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake will return for its 30th anniversary with a 2024-25 UK tour

New Adventures is delighted to announce that Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake will return for its 30th anniversary with a 2024-25 UK tour, playing The Lowry, Salford in November 2024. This reinvention of Tchaikovsky's masterpiece caused a sensation when it premiered almost 30 years ago and has since become the most successful dance theatre production of all time. In celebration of that ongoing impact, Swan Lake will take flight once more in this major revival. Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake begins at Theatre Royal Plymouth from 11th November until 16th November before visiting The Lowry, Salford from 19th November until 30th November, ahead of the 8-week annual Christmas season at Sadler’s Wells from 3rd December 2024 to 26th January 2025. Further tour dates and casting to be announced soon. ...

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Festival Theatre

20Sep

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Festival Theatre

On its opening night, Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre came alive with the revival of Matthew Bourne's "Romeo & Juliet." Often regarded as a master of family-friendly productions, Bourne's latest interpretation delves deeper into the suppressed passions simmering beneath the surface, offering a fresh perspective on Shakespeare's timeless tragedy. The stage is transformed into the Verona Institute, an institution akin to an asylum for troubled youth, masterfully designed by Lez Brotherston. Its stark, white surfaces, imposing barred doors, and staircases leading to nowhere symbolize the suffocating conformity that envelopes its inhabitants. Yet, within these confines, the characters, clad in white, strive to break free with subtle acts of rebellion—flicks of the head, twitches of the arm...