Review: Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

IF you’ve ever encountered an angry swan, you know they can be vicious beasts.

Beautiful but vicious.

And Matthew Bourne’s celebrated take on Swan Lake is the same: beautiful with viciously impeccable choreography.

Its modern setting is welcome relief for those weary of ballet’s usual historical arrangement.

Not that there’s a whole lot of ballet to be had here. The Swan Lake purist who knows little of Bourne’s version may take some time to adjust. In fact, it’s probably best to treat MB’s Swan Lake as a totally distinct show from the typical Tchaikovsky performance.

Here we find a monarchy not too dissimilar to that of Britain’s, with a wayward Prince (James Lovell) desperate for affection from his frosty mum the Queen (Nicole Kabera), who loves a dalliance with a soldier.

Cue a rough-and-ready Girlfriend (Bryony Wood), dances with sexy swans and a nightmare bedtime.

It’s a quite astonishing performance from beginning to end, with quick-snap choreography perfectly synchronised among the tight cast.

The swans look like they could rip you in half with one jerk of their necks, and their vocal huffing only adds to their verocity.

Scenes rip by majestically, with the Prince, Queen and the Stranger/Swan (Jackson Fisch) electric in their roles; the Girlfriend, too, quite the crowd favourite with her antics throughout the first half raising a host of cackles from the audience.

It’s a phenomenal show, and well deserving of its glowing reputation. Catch it at Mayflower Theatre until 15th March. Visit: www.mayflower.org.uk