Swan Lake Archives - North West End UK

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...

18Jan

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Swan Lake – Opera House

It’s January, it’s cold but last night attending Swan Lake at the Manchester Opera House, brought to life by the supremely talented Mergaliyev Classical Ballet, was nothing short of magical. It was the perfect tonic for the January Blues. This timeless masterpiece, with Tchaikovsky’s exquisite score conducted by the masterful Guntars Bernats, transported us to a realm of beauty, grace, and wonder—a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of modern life. The troupe’s exceptional talent was evident from the very first scene. Nilay Tahiroglu, as Odette, delivered a performance of breathtaking finesse. Her delicate movements and emotional depth captured the swan princess’s vulnerability and strength with stunning precision. I also have to mention Kadir Okurer who was outstanding as the...

The State Ballet of Georgia’s ‘Swan Lake’ – London Coliseum

1Sep

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

The State Ballet of Georgia’s ‘Swan Lake’ – London Coliseum

This world-class ballet company, the State Ballet of Georgia comes to London for the first time in its 175-year history, presenting a full-length classic production of the renowned Swan Lake. With each performance accompanied by the English National Opera Orchestra, this production is sure to captivate the hearts of those who have the pleasure to experience it. The classic tale of Swan Lake is the love story of Prince Siegfried (Oleg Ligai) and the Swan Queen, Odette (Nino Samadashvili). Prince Siegfried is taken on quite the journey when he embarks on a hunting trip and encounters a flock of swans, inescapably falling deeply in love with Odette. However, unbeknownst to Prince Siegfried, Odette is under an evil curse which was cast by the evil magician Rothbart which only allows Odette ...

State Ballet of Georgia Release Trailer for Swan Lake

30Jul

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

State Ballet of Georgia Release Trailer for Swan Lake

The State Ballet of Georgia has released the trailer for its first visit to London, including leading talent and rising stars from Georgia alongside international guest soloists. Odette/Odille will be performed by Nino Samadashvili, a leading Georgian soloist and Principal Dancer at the State Ballet of Georgia; Laura Fernandez, who is half-Ukrainian and half-Spanish, and fled Moscow and her position as first soloist with the Stanislavsky Theatre in 2022 as Russia invaded Ukraine; Chloe Misseldine, who joins the State Ballet of Georgia as a Guest from American Ballet Theater; and Ukrainian soloist Anastasia Matvienko, who was previously star at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg and is now a principal at the Slovenian National Ballet. Prince Siegfried will be performed by leading...

5May

By Louise BalaguerNo Comments

Scotland

Swan Lake – Festival Theatre

David Dawson, who has created this new interpretation for Scottish Ballet, sees Swan Lake as the dance equivalent of the Mona Lisa’. This statement from the souvenir programme is one that stood out to me – it speaks to the monument of ballet that Swan Lake is. But unlike the Mona Lisa, it presents the advantage of being a form of art that is live, constantly in motion, with endless possibilities of reinterpretation. With the aim of creating a show for a modern audience, Dawson stripped back the layers of the story to reach its essence: passion and betrayed trust. There are no elaborate palace and lakeside decors, or costumes adorned with tutus. The costumes, designed by Yumiko Takeshima, are for simplicity, elegancy, and showing off the physicality of the dance. No Baron von Rothbart ei...

Varna International Ballet: Swan Lake – Hull New Theatre

31Jan

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Varna International Ballet: Swan Lake – Hull New Theatre

Whenever the ballet is in town, vacant seats are usually few and far between at Hull New Theatre, and so it was on Monday night when Varna International Ballet brought its production of Swan Lake to delight theatregoers. This Bulgarian company will also perform The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty during their stay in the city. As the curtain rose, we were treated to a video backdrop depicting the turning pages of a huge photo album, showing the life of Odette, offspring of a good fairy - a swan - and a noble knight. Odette’s parents die by an evil sorcerer’s spell, so she flees to a mountain lake to join other fairy swans. Alone on the stage sits Prince Siegfried (Vittorio Scolè), engrossed in a book of Odette’s story. The Prince is about to come of age and his mother, the So...

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. ...

12Jan

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Swan Lake – Richmond Theatre

The brand new (2023 founded) Mergaliev Classical Ballet brings to Richmond’s now 125-year-old theatre a tame and traditional rendition of the tragic classic best suited for young audiences. Swan Lake is one of the dance world’s most famous ballets and for good reason. Tchaikovsky’s score is compelling and engaging and the story is simple and accessible. It follows Prince Siegfried (Azamat Askarov), a young man upon whom tragedy suddenly strikes. Urged to choose a bride he spurns the seductive court and ambles into the woods alone. Followed into the woods by the ominous and treacherous sorcerer Rothbart (Jackson Stewart), whose menacing musical motif is no less satisfying for its ubiquity, Siegfried is shocked to discover that the swans he hoped to spear are in fact beautiful maidens tem...