Theatre Review: Matthew Bourne’s Swan at the Bristol Hippodrome

Summary

Rating: ★★★
Running Dates: Tuesday 4th March - Saturday 8th March 2025
Where to see it: Bristol Hippodrome
Duration: 2 hr 20 min (incl. interval)
Keywords: Contemporary, Desire, Bold, Tragedy

Review

A modern adaptation on the classic Swan Lake. A combination of elegance amongst contemporary settings.

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake is a contemporary and modern twist on the classic Swan Lake with the biggest twist of all being… the swans are played by men. This was an interesting adaptation challenging the traditional gender roles which I believe, albeit not quite the same, added a level of intensity to the performance.

Expect the unexpected, from start to finish the production was filled with moments - not quite what you’d see in the original - which kept things exciting.

*Spoiler*

Who would have thought a thrilling nightclub scene, corgis, and a gunfire shoot out would make an appearance.

The performance is segmented into 7 scenes within Act 1, 1 within Act 2, 2 within Act 3, and 1 within Act 4. Each scene felt bold and reimagined - the use of stage presence and design was phenomenal. How they managed to change the stage layout so quickly for each scene I’ll never know, but it sure helped each scene stand-alone within the overarching storyline.   

The beginning part of the production worked a lot stronger in my opinion with a more straight-forward storyline. Act 1, Scene 2: The Palace was my favourite scene – the movement, stage design, and orchestra all tied in beautifully to make a standout section.

The ballet itself was mesmerising, you couldn’t fault it, everyone flowing effortlessly through the stage, perfectly fitting to the orchestral performance. Between the arabesques, développés, there was comedic acting which added to the youthful vibe, without this, I don’t think the performance would’ve been the same.

Overall, I’d recommend if you know what you’re expecting, it was an incredible performance, but it’s all too easy to compare to the original.

See If: You’d like to watch a unique adaptation of a ballet classic with unexpected twists.
Last Impressions: As with most ballets, I do believe the music makes the long-lasting impression. It doesn’t quite replicate the same feeling as the original, but a great watch to experience a youthful adaptation.

You can find last minute tickets for the show on the ATG website.

We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review.

Written by Tamara Lawrence