I did get out of the house once to do something a bit cultural over the christmas break.
I first saw Matthew Bourne's version of this ballet many years ago, although I can't remember when or who with, but I remembered loving it, so it was good to visit again this time on a family New Year outing. We were in the cheaper seats in the second circle so our view was a largely overhead one, and we couldn't see much of the orchestra, so that was a shame, but overall, Sadlers Wells tickets for £30 with a pretty clear view of the stage isn't a bad deal in my books. I have to say it wasn't everyone's cup of tea, with a ballet virgin and some confusion over storylines in our party, but I still enjoyed it a lot.
Of course the most obvious difference from the original story and choreography is that the swans are male, powerful and a bit menacing but the story has had to go through quite a few revisions to make sense. In this version, there is clearly a tragic gay love story to be taken from this, but sitting alongside this is, I think, the most persuasive and interesting interpretation that the swans represent freedom from the repressive life that the prince leads as a member of the royal family. I felt that the latter interpretation took more of a centre stage in this production. I liked the comedy from the girlfriend figure - have they played that up since earlier versions I wonder? In general I found some scenes went on a bit, although of course we are constrained by the score. But there was always something great to take from each one, for example the swaggering use of tango in the ballroom scene as the stranger powers his way around the room fascinating everyone, including the queen, and then of course there is that lakeside pas de deux which is just beautiful. But my favourites were still the ones with the troope of swans on stage, hissing, stamping and leaping in synchrony. The power and athleticism required of this choreography never fails to amaze and delight me, and I read that nowadays they have two casts because of how demanding the piece is. The last 10 minutes or so were absolutely joyous despite the violence on the stage and the (sort of) tragic ending, and I got that heart swelling feeling you get when everything, story, dance, music, seems to line up perfectly. So, still a lovely way to spend an evening.
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