30 Years of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake

>SUBSCRIBE FOR THE BEST THINGS TO DO EVERY WEEKEND<

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake ruffled a fair few feathers when it was first performed 30 years ago at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. With its all-male bare-chested ensemble of swans, it rewrote the rulebook of what a ballet should be.

Reflecting on that first night, Matthew says, “It was terrifying because the whole dance world was there, all the critics were there.”

There had been some scepticism leading up to it. Matthew remembers, “A lot of people felt that I probably wasn’t the right person to do a new version of Swan Lake, my company was known for being quite quirky, and people thought it was going to be a send-up.”

While there is humour in the production, the emotional depth was unexpected. “They didn’t expect to see what they saw. And there’s nothing like the shock of the new to get an audience excited and want to be a part of something that’s different. For all the talk of it being controversial, generally speaking, the reaction was fabulous. There were a few diehards who didn’t like it, but it was embraced by the dance world quite quickly.”

(Scroll to keep reading)

It was also a full circle moment. Seeing Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells as a teenager first ignited Matthew’s passion for dance, but he never even dreamed he’d be a part of this world back then. “I had gone to see it out of self-education. In my late teens, I was into reading books by authors whose work I’d never read or going to see an opera or a ballet because I’d never seen one before. I chose what I thought was the most famous ballet: Swan Lake. I went to Sadler’s Wells and was literally at the very back of the upper circle. I loved the glamour of it. I loved the history of it, the way the dancers moved, the music. The same week, I saw Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House. I thought it was going to be exactly the same, but it was a different take on it. I was aware then how different it could be.”

“It was the spark that took me into seeing much more dance, both contemporary and ballet and eventually deciding that I wanted to do this.” Matthew started his dance training at the comparatively late age of 22 and danced professionally for 14 years before becoming Artistic Director of his first company, Adventures in Motion Pictures. From 1987 until 2002 Matthew created works including Nutcracker!, Highland Fling and Cinderella. In 2002, he launched New Adventures with his Co-Director, Robert Noble. His unique takes on ballet continued with productions such as Dorian Gray and The Red Shoes.

Swan Lake premiered in November 1995. By then, Matthew knew the original intimately. But he had no desire to repeat what had already been done. “I didn’t see any point in doing a whole new production that was just a bit similar to what I’d seen. And I couldn’t do that anyway, because my company wasn’t a classical ballet company, it was a dance theatre company.”

The concept of male swans had been developing for a while. “It was an idea that had come to me as I’d watched the ballet over the years… I suppose I’d sort of daydreamed, why are the swans all female? Surely there are male swans, otherwise there wouldn’t be any swans.” He then went back to basics and observed how swans moved to get some ideas for the choreography.

He also tapped into the story’s emotional depths, particularly the plight of the prince not being able to be who he wants to be. “He doesn’t have a father in the piece. He just seems to have a mother, the queen, and she’s constantly pointing to her finger: when are you going to get married? He wants to wait until he finds the right person. This triggered ideas about what was really going on there.”

The idea was also timely, with this theme of a troubled prince a reflection of events going on back then. “This was the era of Diana and Charles and Camilla, which was all front-page news in the mid-90s. I thought that element of the ballet would be picked up on more but it wasn’t. It was all about the swan in the end. The image of the swan.”

And while the ballet’s portrayal of male connection became a defining moment, it wasn’t its original intention. “It wasn’t the impetus to do the piece. And early on, I was asked in some areas to play down the whole thing about two men having a relationship.”

“Also, it’s not really a relationship, it’s in the mind in many ways with the prince and the swan. It’s a dream, really. I didn’t want to label it.”

Still, this idea resonated with many. “It has such a lot to offer for a universal audience, but also specifically for a gay audience and for those who want to express their love for someone who is not the norm…”

The show’s impact has been lasting and personal. “It’s a piece that changes lives and I don’t say that lightly really. It changed my life because it just took my company to a different place.” But what Matthew is so rightly proud of is the fact that it has opened up dance to a whole new audience. He was awarded an OBE for Services to Dance in 2001, followed by a Knighthood in 2016.

Over the years, Matthew has continued to evolve the production. “The basic idea of it has not changed… but we’ve embraced new technologies, and there are some ideas in the current production that I really love that weren’t there to begin with.”

And the casting has become easier. “We have an enormous amount of people we audition. It’s people’s dream show to be in. When we first started out, we found it very difficult to find 14 male swans who weren’t already working in a company.”

As for what’s next, Matthew says he is extremely lucky that he has fulfilled his bucket list, from Romeo and Juliet to ballets based on films such as Edward Scissorhands. It’s a challenge to find new tales to tell. “If you think about it as a story told without words, it has to be very specific. You’ve got to feel you’ve got a good idea that you can convey. Also with a large company, you have to think, are there enough moments for the ensemble, the duets and solos?” He is currently excited about his production The Midnight Bell, based on Patrick Hamilton’s novels, which is currently touring.

His main aim is sustaining the company’s legacy. “I’m 65 now, so I’m not thinking what’s my future? I’m thinking, how can I keep the company relevant through the work we do.” Encouraging the next generation of dancers is also a priority. “Finding young talent is a massive thing for me, and bringing them into the company.”

After final performances at New Wimbledon Theatre, Swan Lake is preparing to bow out for a while. “It’s a last chance for people to see the show before it goes to bed for a long time. We’ve got some international dates after Wimbledon, but that’s our last UK show… probably for another seven or eight years.”

When Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake first premiered, attitudes were very different. While it may no longer shock, it still has the power to move audiences. “It was once a supposedly shocking piece, and I was called the bad boy of ballet, but now it’s even seen as a show to bring the kids along to. It’s really been embraced.”

• Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake runs at New Victoria Theatre Woking, 23-27 September, and 30 September to 4 October at New Wimbledon Theatre.

Images: Matthew Bourne by Hugo Glendinning

Production shots: Johan Persson