Matthew Bourke's Swan Lake

Now in its 19th year, Bourne’s Swan Lake is so much more than the triumphant final scene in Billy Elliot, where the adult main character performs the lead role of The Swan while his ‘Da’ and brother watch proudly.

Taking our seats, the shadowy sketch of a swan on the house curtain immediately lures us in.

The action commences in The Prince’s bedroom and also winds up there, with us emotionally drained. These dancers are extraordinary. The musicality required to perfect Bourne’s choreography, which here acknowledges every nuance of Tchaikovsky’s famous score, demands articulation through the body that would prove anatomically out of reach for most. Jonathan Ollivier dances The Swan/The Stranger this evening and makes it impossible for the remainder of the cast to pull our focus.

Early performances saw walk-outs, particularly during the pas de deux featuring The Swan and The Prince. Widely described as homoerotic, this rendering is certainly erotic irrespective of your sexual orientation. There’s wild unpredictability behind the movement of Bourne’s all-male swans – they breathe loudly and hiss in unison, audible over the music. Given the masculinity on display, it comes as no surprise that Bourne’s company today features male dancers who enrolled for classes after seeing his early productions of Swan Lake.

Regent Theatre to 25 Oct