Swan Lake takes flight, tickles you pink

MATTHEW Bourne's Swan Lake arrived at the opening of the Esplanade's da:ns festival with a faint hint of cheese - "world's longest-running ballet!", "all-male cast of swans!", "three Tony awards!" But any cynicism one might have had about the hype gave way to chuckles and giggles within minutes of the curtain rising.

Bourne's Swan Lake may well be the funniest ballet the world has ever seen. It even trumps Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo, that legendary all-male drag ballet corps which lampoons ballet cliches and performed at the Esplanade two years ago.

The big difference between Bourne's work and Les Ballet Trockadero is that Bourne's doesn't just parody ballet conventions. Instead, he turns the entire Swan Lake classic on its head, rewriting the story, reinventing the choreography, reimagining the setting - and then serving up the brand new tale with a generous sprinkling of wit and camp.