nothing i can see but you

[pensnest]

I went to the Theatre Royal with a friend on Friday evening to see the Matthew Bourne Swan Lake (again). Yes, it's still beautiful and moving and deserved its standing ovation. The stage was, we thought, a bit too small for the moves the dancers could have made, here and there it was possible to see a bit of constraint. And I missed the boy dancer playing the Prince at the beginning, and in the very final moment—this production did not have the boy, which I dare say was due to the constraints of touring (?) but it did miss out on some poignancy. But the Prince was lovely, so expressive and sincere (he reminded me of pre-serum Steve Rogers, though he was not actually little) and the Swan may have been the most emotional Swan I've seen (and reminded me of prime Jonny Lee Miller, which didn't hurt).

It is Magnolia Week! Just a few days too late for my visitors, the magnolias are in their utmost glory. Next week there will be lots of pink and brown petals on the ground.

Comments

[author_by_night]

Sounds nice. :)

[turps]

That sounds like a wonderful way to spend an evening.

[turlough]

Sounds like you'd a lovely Friday evening.

I'm so sad that we missed the magnolias! There are so few of them here in Emmaboda.

[smallhobbit]

Just catching up - I saw Swan Lake in January at Sadler's Wells (my annual trip!) and it was indeed beautiful and moving. So glad I got to see this production.

[pensnest]

The first time I saw it live—at Sadler's Wells, in fact—I found myself *sobbing*, real, heart-wrenching sobs that *hurt*, because it was so overwhelmingly beautiful and sad. I've never had quite such a profound reaction since, probably not surprisingly.