Scottish Ballet- David Dawson's Swan Lake (April-May 2024)

Scottish Ballet's production of Swan Lake by David Dawson with set designs by Jonn Otto and costumes by Yumiko Takeshima (also known by her dancewear label Yumiko) arrives in Edinburgh this week at the end of their spring tour of this production. 

For anyone in Edinburgh or visiting Edinburgh this week with a free evening or free Saturday afternoon, there are still a small number of tickets left at each performance- best availability on Friday night and Saturday night. 

Casting (in the order of Odette-Odile/ Siegfried/ Benno) :

Thu 2 May - Sophie Martin/ Bruno Micchiardi /Thomas Edwards 

Fri 3 May - Roseanna Leney / Evan Loudon/ Aaron Venegas

Sat 4 May matinee- Roseanna Leney / Evan Loudon/ Aaron Venegas

Sat 4 May evening- Sophie Martin/ Bruno Micchiardi /Thomas Edwards 

The music is performed by Scottish Ballet Orchestra at all performances with Martin Yates conducting all evening performances and Robert Baxter conducting the matinee. 

Reviews, thoughts and feedback from members who are able to attend this week (unfortunately I can't) or who have seen the performances earlier in Glasgow, Aberdeen or (/and!)  Inverness will be most welcome....especially since many of us have never seen this version. Toi toi toi to the company for tonight and this weekend!

Yes, I would love to hear from anyone who saw Jess Fyfe in this please.

This is a revival of David Dawson's 2016 production for SB. The plot is stripped down almost to vanishing point. Siegfried isn't a prince, his mother doesn't make an appearance and there isn't a crossbow (or any other swan-shooting device). There is no von Rothbart. The non-swan characters wear modern dress (men in T-shirts, complete with sweat marks) and the swans wear leos (no tutus or tights). Act 1 consists of uneventful dancing round at Benno's place, with Siegfried looking a bit mournful from time to time. In Act 2 he meets Odette and the other swans, although there's nothing I could see to suggest that it's at a lake; at the end of the act she gives him a broach. In Act 3 we're back at Benno's, where Siegfried dances unenthusiastically with three women, then enthusiastically with Odile (no fouettés), who has turned up with 4 masked minders; without von Rothbart it's unclear who the minders work for; the nearest to a national dance is when they dance to the Spanish music; at the end of the act Siegfried gives Odile Odette's broach. Act 4 is back at the not-quite lake, where Siegfried expresses his regret to Odette for giving away her broach. With no von Rothbart to defeat, the climactic music doesn't have much on stage to climax about, although the 10-swan corps runs around a lot in a (largely unsuccessful) attempt to create some drama. The choreography contains a fair number of lifts for Siegfried (as is Dawson's wont) but I found it otherwise unmemorable and samey. The music was played well, and it was good to see Sophie Martin again (former SB principal now at Karlsruhe but back guesting with SB for this production).