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the_monkeys_raincoat's rating
Matthew Bourne has become my new hero...having swept me off my feet with his all male "Swan Lake" and then with his tantalizing and provocative draw on Carmen, "The Car Man". I didn't even like ballet or musicals until a friend introduced me to all those heady Swans. But even moreso, I was completely captivated by the sweaty, steamy peek into "Harmony, USA" where "The Car Man" unfolds. Though all cast members were superb, Will Kemp literally took my breath away. His portrayal of Angelo was so exquisitely danced I felt I had crawled into his skin. He was/is brilliant not only as a dancer but an actor as well. (His first film 'Mindhunters' comes out early next year). Though it is dance theatre - so to speak - and some may not be comfortable at first with no dialogue, Will alone is so compelling as he evolves from a quiet, sexually confused, timid, sweet soul to a ... well I won't spoil it. But the transformation is so powerful you want to watch it over and over. It also makes me wish I lived in London to be able to see Bourne, Kemp and all the loyal 'Bourne' crew of dancers more frequently.
I saw 'Swan Lake' when I was 18 years old (a million years ago). I thought the music was pretty and the dancers were pretty and I might have wished in passing that I knew how to dance. But I never gave it or dance another thought. Fast forward to a few years ago when I was plopped down on a couch and told to watch this new all male version with a friend who had seen it in person. WOW!!!! It truly grieves me I have never seen it in person. Matthew Bourne is one cool dude and his swans are nothing short of spectacular. Adam Cooper drips a sexual tension you can feel even through the television screen. The band of carousing swans filter throughout the production sometimes in movements of dreamy poetry, sometimes in a furious fluttered heat, sometimes disturbingly aggressive - but always ethereally beautiful. The story has many facets and encompasses a lot of emotion - something I am learning Bourne and his dancers are quite keen at communicating vividly to the audience with just the slightest movement. So if you are ready to try something different...I highly recommend you try this on for size. Let go of your reservations, willingly suspend your preconceptions of what it is you think you are going to see and settle in for the ruffled feather experience of your life. These swans are hot and they really do rock. (Also see 'The Car Man' - another provocative work from the creative genius Matthew Bourne).