© Bill Cooper Matthew Bourne interview Interview with SL Queens Oxana Panchenko and Nicola Tranah MB 'Swan Lake' Reviews AMP 'Swan Lake' reviews (original production was by Adventures in Motion Pictures) Tirado in reviews Westmoreland in reviews Piper in reviews Marney in reviews all Matthew Bourne reviews Mandy Kent reviews Swan Lake opened at London's Sadler's Well on November 30th and runs until January 16th. www.sadlers-wells.com Box office 0870 737 7737 www.matthewbourne.org www.new-adventures.net

There are two casts: Jose Maria Tirado is Swan to Neil Westmoreland's Prince, whilst Jason Piper dances with Christopher Marney.

Jose Tirado comes from a classical ballet background in his native Spain, followed by a period with the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich and three years with the Royal Ballet (2000-2003). More recently he has chosen to explore other forms of dance including work with Protein and Jasmin Vardamon Dance Co, plus a wonderfully camp duet with Arthur Pita in Pita's new work called 'Bugger' at The Place last year. Neil Westmoreland is no stranger to friends of New Adventures, he has recently danced in Bourne's Nutcracker both at Sadlers Wells and on the Far East tour, and he teaches daily class to the New Adventures cast. Chris Marney is another familiar face to Swan Lake fans as he appeared in the production at The Dominion Theatre and as The Prince on the European tour in 2000. Jason Piper may have caught your eye through his film work; he has appeared in 'Alfie' and 'Finding Neverland' as well as various modelling campaigns. His dance training includes working with the National Youth Dance Company for two years plus an honours degree from the London Contemporary Dance School. Whilst juggling his dance and acting careers he also finds time to play in a band which has toured the USA.

Of course they've all seen the show a myriad times, whether live or on DVD, so how have they been touched by it and why does it have such wide appeal? Chris Marney recalled first "I saw it at the Piccadilly Theatre when I'd just started my dance

Neil Westmoreland © 2004 Clear Channel Entertainment

training. I'd just joined ballet school. For me, it sounds really clichéd but it was the fact you could be a person on stage, it's not just about technique, you can explore yourself, you can act and dance at the same time."

For Neil Westmoreland the power of the piece came home recently in a Sadler's Wells stage door cafe exchange, "We were in the canteen on Saturday and there were lots of children around because they were coming to see Mark Morris's "Hard Nut". The TV screen in the canteen was showing the promotional clip for Swan Lake. Matthew and his mum were sat there in the canteen, and this little boy said 'Oh Mum, it's Swan Lake' and his mum said 'Oh yes, I think that's the first Swan Lake that was ever done.' and I looked at Matthew and he smiled. But it's amazing how it has really touched people. "

All the cast agreed that they regarded being in Swan Lake as a dream role and that the show has had a huge impact on their lives. Neil's point of view was "that for us [the Princes], it doesn't get much better than this, for a man acting and dancing there's not many roles out there that are like this. For a woman there are quite a lot of complex character roles but for men, we've got so much to delve into in this show." They all found their roles exacting…. Chris told me "we were so exhausted at the end of our run-throughs, just so drained emotionally." Neil adding "The first one I did I felt like when you've had a really good cry and you've got nothing left inside." For the Swans, the role is both emotionally and physically demanding. "It is an effort, every time I do it, and it's a beautiful effort but it's still hard!" exclaimed Jason Piper.

 

Jason Piper
© Bill Cooper

Of the four leading men, only Chris Marney has danced his role, that of the Prince, before. Chris, a graduate from the Central School of Ballet, has danced for Adventures in Motion Pictures in 'Swan Lake' and in 'The Car Man'. He feels that the show has evolved since its early days; "When I did it 5 years ago they made quite a lot of changes. And every time they do it they adapt it for the different dancers. Not choreographically but for the artists. They give us a lot of freedom with the way we can express ourselves."

Matthew Bourne is well known for constantly refining his work, whether to clarify the narrative or to adjust the choreography to suit a dancer. To a certain extent the performers are encouraged to interpret the role in their own way, to have their own 'take' on their character, under the guiding eye of Matthew or Associate Artistes Scott Ambler and Etta Murfitt. Neil Westmoreland explained… "I think we're working from the same sketch but obviously you've got to do what you feel is right for you, plus they know how they want the story to go and they know how things have to be at certain places, so we can't go too far out of the story or out of the personalities. They have been working on this for a long time, they know exactly how they want it, they know what works and they've been experimenting with it for 10 years, and now they know what you need to see, what steps are important, what needs to be highlighted. I think in terms of choreography, that it's 'set', but in terms of the character you've got some freedom. The characterisation comes on top of the movement."

Jason Piper has been adjusting things too, "If you want to change something I think you have to justify it. When Scott has put a change in or taught something and I've said 'would it be OK if….?' there's that respect. There have been some changes. Matt comes in and says 'I'm bored with seeing that' or 'that's never really worked'. Every time the show is remounted it's an opportunity for Matt and Scott to come in and go 'Let's iron out that little annoying thing'. They've ironed out a few and I daresay we've created a few more! We are definitely the beneficiaries of a vast amount of experience from people who have mounted this show, time and time again, seen it umpteen times, and want to keep it fresh, and still find that it is inspiring."

 

Jose Maria Tirado and Neil Westmoreland
© John Ross

As well as working on honing the production, it is also important to Matthew that the characters are rooted in reality for the show to succeed on an emotional level. Neil describes how "They really wanted to bring it back to keeping the story very real, that's what they've focused on. I think the White Acts speak for themselves pretty much, the movement, the whole look of everything. It's beautiful and it works. But with Act 1, they want to bring it back to a very real take, take some of the comedy elements out of it a little bit and really bring everyone's personality out. So that there's no ballet gestures for the sake of it, so that people aren't going too much down their own path. Matt has been focusing on it to look very real, and they've learnt over time that that's become more and more important."

One very basic premise in the story line is that the Swan is a figment of the Prince's imagination, that the Prince is obsessed by the beauty and freedom that the Swan represents, something he clings to in an otherwise sad and loveless life. The Prince is totally unsuited to a life of Royal protocol and duty, although he tries to fulfil his obligations out of a desperate need to gain the approval and love of his coldly aloof mother, The Queen.

Having seen the original Prince as played by Scott Ambler and later by Ben Wright and Andrew Corbett, was it a challenge to convince us of the Prince's fragile state of mind? Neil Westmoreland, whose background of four years with Northern Ballet Theatre has given him a firm grounding in dance theatre, relishes his chance to convince us of the Prince's descent into madness; "I'm playing it very much that he [the Swan] is in my imagination, that it's in the Prince's head and that he is very weak, he's very vulnerable and he's very prone to wandering in his mind." Chris Marney, however, finds that "For me it makes

Jason Piper © 2004 Clear Channel Entertainment

it a bit too difficult to think that the whole thing is a dream. I think in Act 3 there's a definite section where it's in the Prince's head but for Act 2 and Act 4, although it could never happen, we both play it for real. "

Much of the Prince's downfall is due to the machinations of the scheming Private Secretary who plans to gain power over the Royal Family. The role is never properly defined and remains ambiguous but is the equivalent of Von Rothbart in some respects, and The Stranger is possibly his son, who he wishes to introduce as a suitor to the Queen in order to gain further control.

Jose Tirado described the character; "I think that the Private Secretary is responsible for all that happens. He sees the Prince a lot, he's been spying on him, he notices he watches the wild swans a lot, he knows what's happening in the Prince's mind, he knows how to play with his mind with the Stranger, he knows he's going to make an impact."

Jason Piper recalled that "We had a cast meeting to decide on the characters. Matt tried to impose some sense of reality on it, to make the Private Secretary a more realistic character, but everyone felt, including Matt, that it lost something….you need that kind of malevolence and ambiguity. People can read into it what they will, the minute you try and proscribe 'it's this' then it's the end. It loses the vital 'X factor'. But you need this puppeteer; this bald-headed evil man pulling the strings. We know how hangers-on and flunkeys at the palace manipulate things, so it resonates very deeply with the audience. They can see in every institution, in every workplace there are people who are pulling the strings and controlling things."

 

Jason Piper and Christopher Marney
© Bill Cooper

The pivotal dual role of the Swan/Stranger, made famous by ex-Royal Ballet star Adam Cooper and subsequently danced by Will Kemp and Simon Cooper amongst others, is a dream role, combining incredible choreography with simple, majestic beauty. Jose Tirado is well suited to the challenge and it doesn't hurt that he is tall, dark and very handsome! He thinks that "the structure of the Swan's role, the base, is quite a classical thing, I've been trained as a classical dancer and I think the piece is quite classical if you are talking about steps. But it's not as classical as some people think, it's more contemporary."

Perhaps a contemporary training is more appropriate? Jason Piper, a former rugby player , has danced for Richard Alston Dance Company and with various singing stars including Kylie Minogue, Christina Aguilera and Shirley Bassey. He thinks his training does affect the way he dances The Swan. Tongue-in-cheek he jokes "I'm about 12 inches lower to the ground than everyone else to start off! Then I do this contemporary thing where I roll around on the floor a bit. My Swan is earthy in a sexual sense and definitely as the Stranger in Act 3 I'm going along the lines of a sexual terrorist, in the leather pants, who's got no scruples! I've done jazz and pop, a bit of ballet, so for me that's a strength and a weakness. I'm not a specialist but I can flip and change." Jason's good looks and athletic build will ensure that his Swan is a striking vision and it is obvious why he's been snapped up for modelling and film work.

Christopher Marney © 2004 Clear Channel Entertainment

The need for a variety of dance styles and acting skills within the choreography influences the type of dancers that Matthew Bourne casts to perform in Swan Lake. Neil Westmoreland agreed that "the sort of people that Matthew seems to choose are not necessarily a contemporary dancer or a classical dancer, most people are 'jack-of-all-trades', everyone can do a bit of everything. That's why he picks that sort of person. It makes it more interesting and they've got a broader mind, they're not just thinking about one thing."

That versatility includes coping with the inevitable mixing and matching of partners. There are two casts, although there are three Queens who are sharing their role. The present pairings have developed strong working relationships but should someone fall sick or injured they will have to adapt. As Neil said "We're going to work together for now in our existing partnerships so that we solidify something but obviously on a tour that's nearly a year long it's likely that something will happen and the other person will have to change." Jason added "We could do it but I think that at the moment we would struggle a little bit. When I got this job I auditioned with Henry St Clair who is tall, about six foot three, and it's not that hard, but you become a different sort of Swan." Although the men have to lift each other it seems that your partner's size or weight is less important than how much they assist with the lift.

So how does the director decide who kicks off the tour, is there a 'first cast'? Chris Marney explained "It's a company where they don't tend to put so much emphasis on that sort of thing. When we get to Sadler's Wells there's a first night and a press night and there's all sorts of special occasions which we will share." Jose Tirado agreed with Christopher "This whole thing of first cast, second cast comes from a classical company where there is ranking of soloist, first soloist and principal." Jason's opinion was that "it only serves people outside of the company, people want to come to the 'first' cast, and it's all do with perception, nothing to do with the reality of the show, because if you're going to do two shows a week you've got to be as good as the person who does six, you can't short-change people." Happily the dancers felt that they were free from professional jealousies and were all getting along very well. Neil Westmoreland was delighted "that it's actually been quite

Jose Maria Tirado © 2004 Clear Channel Entertainment

unique how the four of us have worked together. I've not really experienced that before where there's not a problem with any professional tension. It's been a really nice rehearsal period between us. We've done really well. Jose and Jason have really bonded; they're like two old women, spending the weekend together."

Ever since the premiere there has been controversy over the relationship between the Prince and the Swan. Its categorisation as the 'gay' Swan Lake provoked some heated discussion. Jose Tirado thought that "People have to label things, so they see there are men instead of girls and they attach a gay label." Neil said "it's not about sex, he [the Prince] is so confused, he's so unhappy, so in torment, and then this guy, this Swan is just the answer to everything, he's the symbol of freedom, and that's what he wants. He wants to be free like him, he wants to have none of the pressures that he's got in his life and he just wants to forget about everything. " Jose continued "It's not a sexual thing, it's a symbol, it's about freedom and how wild animals are, like 'I wish I was a bird, flying away'." Jason added that the tabloid press who gave the show its gay label had probably never seen it and they were simply sensationalising it.

Finally, the Swans and Princes shared their thoughts on their favourite moments within the show; "For me, it's the duet with the Queen in Act 1" remarks Chris Marney; "The intensity of it. There's so much in it and there's so much you want the audience to see and I just want to really get it out, there's so much behind it …and it's so short, only two minutes! " This is indeed a crucial moment in the narrative, establishing the Queen's remoteness and the Prince's thwarted need for her love. Chris continued "and I love the fact that there's this idea that we are so surprised to see her in our room because actually she may never have been there before, it may be the first time she's been in our quarters."

Neil also treasures this duet "actually I love that moment too, and the music is so beautiful at that point, just gorgeous!" He has quite a list of favourites however… "I've got a few…The Prince and Queen duet in Act 1 as mentioned, and I like the shooting scene at the end of Act 3, and I love the beginning of Act 4 when he goes mad and I love doing the death as well! All the acting things, for me, I'm really enjoying, going through it all. It's very exciting. And I get my Harrods pyjamas on! That's going up in the world! "

Jose Maria Tirado
© Bill Cooper

For Jose Tirado it's the last act…. "I think it's the best one, it's very special. And also the duet for the Swan and the Prince when the music gets very slow, in the park in Act 2. I really like that slow music, it's amazing."

Joking around, Jason tells me "Well, I don't really like the show to be honest!" Then, he admits that he too loves Act 4, and the tango between the Stranger and the Prince in Act 3... "When the lighting goes blue, it's a kind of bubble that's floating outside of the Palace now, it's a dream sequence, you are liberated in many ways from the restraints of your character and I like that."

Another favourite point in the story is the Stranger's mocking gesture as he draws the black line down his forehead and nose to mimic the Swan, at the end of that 'blue' tango. Both Jose and Jason get very enthusiastic about this. "That was one of the reasons I was very excited about doing the part!" exclaims Jose. Jason described how difficult it is to do this properly without the aid of a mirror "The first time I came on to do it I got it here (his forehead) and missed out here (bridge of his nose)! There's a technique we haven't been taught yet for getting it in that place at the top of the nose."

Will the face painting ever come right!? Hopefully it will but why not see for yourself during this winter season at Sadlers Wells in London or in Japan and Korea next spring - and catch a few of your own favourite moments too?