Anyone who thinks ballet is an art reserved for tutus, prancing and trite old fashioned fairytales, be prepared to be challenged. Matthew Bourne, for those of you who don’t know, is a world-renowned choreographer who’s sole aim is to smash archaic connotations of ballet (you might remember him for grabbing headlines with his all-male Swan Lake), push boundaries in dance and create innovative new works to attract mainstream audiences.
Bourne’s hitlist so far includes Play Without Words and Edward Scissorhands, and his latest work for his company New Adventures, a stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s lurid tale A Picture of Dorian Gray, comes to Birmingham Hippodrome for one week only and is well worth the trip to find out how traditional images of dance are being replaced with something far more vibrant and exciting.
Richard Winsor as Dorian and Michela Meazza as Lady H
Even in Wilde’s day, the novel wasn’t for the faint hearted. The tale of lust, murder and debauchery in the quest for eternal youth did a little more than raise eyebrows after its publication in 1890. Bourne takes Dorian Gray out of the 19th century courtroom of the novel, and places the entire story in a contemporary setting. The effect is a visual pastiche of modern society. The plot works uncannily well its revised form – no doubt down to Bourne’s brilliant ability to tell a good story.
Dorian, the London socialite, becomes the latest underwear pin-up, for Lady H (a replacement for Lord Henry) – the editor of a fashion magazine. Basil Hallward the painter is transformed into a photographer, and Sybil Vane the actress becomes a man, Cyril. These sex changes for central characters alter the dimensions of the web of sexual fantasy which ensues and make for a most entertaining romp and dark tale of one man’s self-destruction.
Dorian and Basil in the photography scene
Richard Winsor returns to play Dorian with predatory hunger mixed with infectious charm. His character is built by those around him, and Bourne demonstrates his trademark ability to construct a series of superb male duets. The first pas de deux between Dorian and Basil, played this year with less slease by Jason Piper, is an exemplary display of impressive lifts and curling floor sequences in which Bourne shows how two male bodies can interweave in ways never seen before. This is when Dorian first feels the pleasure of being in the limelight, and the photographs captured by Basil are projected onto the white wall behind, giving us a new perspective of the protagonist. We see Dorian through Basil’s lense and are just as enchanted by his beauty as he is.
Dorian, it may appear to the audience, is game for anything. His poster-boy fame takes him to the polished world of parties, drugs and smart suits. Soon the glaze of the gaze takes his toll on the young socialite and – true to the story – the reality of his torment and corruption don’t reveal themselves in his appearance until the finale.
In many ways Wilde was ahead of his time, and the fact his story reflects something of modern society is a testament to his great perceptions. But it is also Bourne’s genius which allows this time-old fable to tell us something new about the way we live – and allow contemporary ballet to be satirical.
Dorian is the object of fame and in the spotlight. In a world in part dictated by paparazzi hoarding, celebrity and where the public are fascinated by their idols and even more entranced by watching them crumble – the story couldn’t be ever more relevant.
Dorian revels in his newfame and a fan takes a picture of their phone
The production débuted at Edinburgh Festival last year. In its revival for this year’s tour Bourne has made a few minor touches which only enhance the audience’s experience.
The revolving centre partition allows for clever set changes and builds pace between scenes – we move easily from Dorian’s bedroom to the reception of White Box Media to a club night with a Damian Hurst-esque disco ball. The momentum between sets increases the impact of the dancers – their voguish statement poses hitting a strong note of blind pretension and conscious self-parody.
There is an underlining tone of humour throughout the ballet. When Dorian is transformed from waiter to pin-up he receives an applause from Monday night’s audience – who clearly recognise this as a ‘makeover’ scene from reality TV and are delighted at how it is replicated on stage by the blue-gloved sunglass-clad dancers to the ticking music. Later, spectators will also be familiar with the chat-show host who greets Dorian on stage with three-puffs and a piano. It’s this witty interplay with the current which makes the entire ballet so attractive to a mass audience. Indeed Bourne acknowledges that scenes of rape and murder can be evermore powerful in dance than on television, but his injection of a dark reality into ballet is what makes his work fresh and revolutionary. Stand Dorian Gray next to all the ballets ever made and you won’t find anything like it.
Dorian Gray runs at Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 14 November. Bookings for evening and matinee performances. Contact the box office for tickets by calling 0844 338 5000 or visiting their website.
