With an all-male ensemble of swans, Matthew Bourne’s ground-breaking production of Tchaikovsky's classic transforms one of ballet’s best-loved stories into a stylish, witty and contemporary tale, simulcast in 3D.

It was first produced at Sadler's Wells in 1995, and performances at the Piccadilly Theatre in London were followed by a world tour before it became one of the longest-running ballets ever - both in the West End and on Broadway.

It won numerous awards, including an Olivier Award (for Best New Dance Production), and three Tony awards following its transfer to Broadway.

Recorded at the Royalty Theatre, Kingsway, London, this performance from the dance group Adventures in Motion Pictures features the original stage cast, including Adam Cooper as the Swan (for which he received a Time Out Award), Scott Ambler as Prince Siegfried, and Fiona Chadwick as the Queen.

Bourne's startling and modern reworking of the traditional ballet drew many double-takes from the critics thanks to its all-male cast of swans, who bring a masculine grace and controlled power very different from the floaty delicacy of female swans. In this interpretation, the story is seen through the eyes of the Prince, who escapes from his loveless Palace world into his dreams, where the swans symbolise the freedom he yearns for. The production is funny and passionate but also intense and moving.

Director and choreographer 
Matthew Bourne

Set and costume design
Lez Brotherston

Performers
The Swan : Adam Cooper
Prince Siegfried : Scott Ambler
The Queen : Fiona Chadwick
The Private Secretary : Barry Atkinson
The Prince's girlfriend : Emily Pearcy
The young prince : Andrew Walkinshaw

The New London Orchestra
David Lloyd-Jones (conductor)

Image: Sadler's Wells