Over this summer you can see Swan Lake performed at the Royal Opera House by the Royal Ballet; at the Coliseum by a company from Georgia; at Sadler’s Wells by Chinese acrobats; and at the Royal Albert Hall by English National Ballet. It is expected therefore to attract audiences of Taylor Swiftian magnitude – well in excess of 100,000, by my very rough reckoning. And should you dread autumnal withdrawal symptoms, then fear not: a film of Matthew Bourne’s version will be shown in cinemas in September, prior to a national live tour starting in November and continuing until May, including a two-month season at Sadler’s Wells over Christmas.
There isn’t a hint of Magic Mike erotic tease about this: we never see any genitals
What is the basis of this ballet’s appeal, which seems to have grown over the last century to the point at which it has become for many the art form’s defining image, as well as fail-safe at the box office? It’s certainly not a flawless masterpiece.
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