Matthew Bourne’s Iconic Swan Lake Celebrates 30 Years with Extensive UK and Ireland Tour

Wednesday, 6 November 2024


Dance lovers, prepare to experience the power and artistry of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, as it embarks on an extraordinary UK and Ireland tour to celebrate its 30th anniversary. With 29 weeks of breathtaking performances across 19 venues, New Adventures once again brings Tchaikovsky’s classic to audiences with a thrilling revival that pushes dance theatre boundaries. Starting at Theatre Royal Plymouth on November 11, 2024, and leading into an 8-week holiday season at Sadler’s Wells, this tour marks New Adventures’ 22nd consecutive Christmas season at the iconic venue.

In 2025, the tour extends to Aberdeen, Sheffield, and Dublin, alongside previously announced cities including Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, ensuring audiences nationwide will have a chance to experience the groundbreaking production that forever changed dance theatre. Since premiering at Sadler’s Wells in 1995, Swan Lake has won over 30 international awards and become the most successful dance production of all time, celebrated for replacing the traditional female swan ensemble with a bold, male corps-de-ballet. The production’s success has reverberated globally, holding records for the longest-running full-length dance piece in both the West End and on Broadway, with Olivier and Tony Awards in categories from Best New Dance Production to Best Choreography.

This tour also welcomes a new generation of New Adventures talent making their debut in lead roles: Harrison Dowzell, Jackson Fisch, and Rory Macleod as The Swan/The Stranger; James Lovell, Leonardo McCorkindale, and Stephen Murray as The Prince; Nicole Kabera and Ashley Shaw as The Queen; Katrina Lyndon and Bryony Wood in double roles. The company’s stellar ensemble will elevate Lez Brotherston’s set and costume design and Paule Constable’s dynamic lighting, with video and projection by Duncan McLean. The dark, witty, and emotionally charged choreography, directed by Matthew Bourne, remains central to this genre-defining experience, blending wit and menace in equal parts.

As Official Partners, Fortnum & Mason and Edwardian Hotels bring their support to the tour, underscoring the cultural importance of this masterpiece. Join the excitement as Swan Lake embarks on its 30th-anniversary journey, celebrating dance theatre history with every performance.

photo credit: Johan Persson

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