Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake: The next generation

Last season, the Teatro Real presented Helgi Tomas-son’s iconic version of Swan Lake, performed by the San Francisco Ballet. In 2025-2026, a radical and equally iconic version of Tchaikovsky’s classic will be staged at the Teatro Real. Few works have challenged the rules of classical ballet as boldly as Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake. By representing the swans with the male dancers’ bodies and their bare torsos, not only did he subvert the icons of ballet blanc, but he also rewrote the classical myth with a focus on desire and liberation. Matthew Bourne’s dance company, New Adventures, is updating this contemporary classic to connect with a new generation of dancers and audiences worldwide.

Music by Piotr Ilich Chaikovski (1840-1893) 

Artistic team

Direction and choreography: Matthew Bourne

Set and costume design: Lez Brotherston

Lighting design: Paule Constable

Sound design: Ken Hampton

Video and projection designer: Duncan McLean

Associate artistic director: Etta Murfitt

Resident artistic associate: Neil Westmoreland