For five dates last month, Mathew Bourne’s revolutionary revisioning of Tchaikovsky’s classic Swan Lake was performed at the Millenium Centre in Cardiff Bay. 2025 marks thirty years since the ballet was first performed, although it still feels completely fresh and original. The play is titled as Bourne’s own creation, and this is the best indicator of all that this is a production crafted uniquely by one individual. It is in no way a traditional or “faithful” retelling of Tchaikovsky’s opus: Bourne’s swans are played by male dancers, and the use of mobile phones and some of the clothing suggest it is set closer to the modern day.
Perhaps most controversially, and what made me the most apprehensive, is the performances insistence on not using a live orchestra. These concerns were, encouragingly, left at the start of the show. What followed was a dramatic and compelling narrative, one built on beautiful, intricately crafted scenes.
Bourne allows the true strength of ballet to come to the foreground, the dancers’ smooth and natural movements allows them to tell a story that is digestible, yet complex and riveting. Bourne’s willingness to resist a traditional retelling also allows for some wonderfully evocative pieces of set design that would rival any musical. In the runtime we are transported to: an old-fashioned kingdom, a meta theatre “ballet within a ballet”, a 1970s style disco, a ballroom party, and even a white-walled asylum.
This evocative and ambitious use of sets highlights the truly surreal plot of the play and adds a sense of scale to the prince’s nightmarish ordeal. This ballet proves that fairytale-esque story of Swan Lake can be placed in any era—or even multiple, as Bourne proves. Despite all this artistic licence, the play still gives a deserved focus on the swans themselves.
The ensemble provides a cerebral energy through the use of movement in a way that is electrifying and frightening. There is a well-balanced insertion of both humour and drama throughout the ballet, allowing the more intense parts to hit you even more effectively. This production is an exchange between the timelessness of Tchaikovsky’s original story and the modern urgency of Bourne’s vision that is rewarding and captivating to the audience.
I would highly recommend.