Review: Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake (Sadler's Wells)

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake is a very different proposition from your traditional telling of the tale. Described by the man himself as 'contemporary dance' rather than 'ballet', its use of an all-male corps de ballet (sorry, Matthew), modernising of the story and use of a variety of dance styles set it far apart from others in the same genre.

The first person in view as the curtain rose was the Prince, lying in bed and dreaming of the Swan. Performed enchantingly and convincingly by Dominic North at this performance (the performers alternate from night to night), his plight, forced into courtly behaviours, deprived of affection from his mother and unable to date who he wants, seemed all too real, knowing what we do about our own Royal family. North evoked such tremendous passion and angst in his Prince, his disdain for royal life clear but his love and adoration for the Swan all too real. By the conclusion of this sorry tale, your heart was in your throat - would the desperate, maddened Prince be allowed to be with his true love, the Swan?

Jonathan Ollivier's stunning portrayal of the Swan/Stranger is also one that will not be forgotten any time soon. He is a dancer of immense power and flexibility, but also a subtle and clever actor. His Swan was affectionate and attractive, while his Stranger was selfish, snobby and aggressive, sending the poor Prince into a frenzy of anger and confusion. While recent Swan Lakes have failed to capture the heart-in-mouth moment as the drama concludes, this one certainly managed it, thanks to the strong, exciting and beautiful performances of its two leads.

Meanwhile, Nina Goldman gave her Queen an icy demeanour that sent chills down the spine - you could understand why her son took to drink if she treated him so distantly - and the ensemble proved impressively versatile, adapting easily to all dance styles required. While the action lagged at moments - such as the various dances enacted at the party in Act III - and the Private Secretary felt a little underused, other moments, such as the Prince's descent into madness and his subsequent medical treatment, left you unable to breathe.

Furthermore, any shortcomings were more than made up for by the Swans, whose vacillation between horribly aggressive, murderous behaviour and graceful, beautiful dance transfixed. Although all gave good performances, of particular note are Jack Jones and Ben Bunce, both of whom impressed with their poise and strong lines.

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