Theatre / Reviews
Review: Swan Lake, Bristol Hippodrome
It’s a classic tale of good versus evil, of doomed lovers caught between opposing forces. It’s a story as old as the hills that surround the lake. You know the lake… the one with all the swans. You know the swans… the ones who were previously children, but who became swans after drowning in a wave of tears generated by a grieving grandfather. It’s a classic tale.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s 1875 ballet Swan Lake is no stranger to the Bristol Hippodrome, whether with choreographer Matthew Bourne at the helm or, as tonight, performed by the Russian State Ballet of Siberia.
Arguably the most romantic of all the ballets, Swan Lake is the story of Prince Siegfried (Vyacheslav Kapustin) whose mother insists he must choose a bride from the guests at his birthday ball. Escaping for a few moments alone, the Prince is drawn to the banks of the lake where he sees a flock of white swans gracefully swimming – and is struck by the beauty of Odette (Natalia Bobrova). Odette, of course, is one of the children who was transformed into a swan after drowning in a pool of her grandfather’s tears. Yet if she should marry… the curse upon her will be lifted and she will become human again. Hurrah!
It doesn’t require a spoiler alert to say that things don’t turn out well. While Darren Aronofsky’s cinematic interpretation Black Swan is a bloody and macabre retelling of the story, Tchaikovsky’s original is no less nightmarish even if it is less graphic.
The concluding act featuring The Dying Swan was highly moving and demonstrated, more than any other, the extreme skill and discipline of the Russian State performers in this excellent production – while Tchaikovsky’s score, familiar from so many other places (adverts, films etc) seems almost strange in this new, albeit original, context.
Between the drama of the white swans emerging from the mist in the second scene, and the feather-like sparkly tutus of Odette/Odile throughout, this was a gripping and engaging performance from start to finish.
Swan Lake continues at Bristol Hippodrome tonight (Wednesday, 7 January) followed by The Nutcracker tomorrow (Thursday, 8 January). For more info and to book tickets, visit //www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome/
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