MATTHEW BOURNE

MATTHEW BOURNE TALKS AT LENGTH ABOUT SWAN LAKE, NUTCRACKER! AND THE CAR MAN, THREE OF HIS MAJOR WORKS THAT MAKE UP THE RECENTLY RELEASED MATTHEW BOURNE BOXED SET



Q: NVC Arts is proud to be releasing a boxed set of three of your most famous works: Swan Lake, Nutcracker! And The Car Man. Do you view them as a trio in any sense? Are there elements that unite them or are they quite different in every way?

A: I don't really view them as a trio, other than the fact that they are all based on much loved originals. Three of the most performed pieces on the world stage I would think? The thing that unites them is incredible music. It's doubtful any of these pieces would have lasted were it not for the popularity of the scores. In my own versions, seen in this collection, I have always been as faithful as I can to those scores, whilst imagining them in a new way for new audiences. Interestingly, I am told that my version of SWAN LAKE is more authentic musically than the classical version. This is because of the advancements in dance technique over the years - longer balances, multiple turns, more sustained adage. This has resulted in the score becoming very "stogy" in places! We were able to choreograph our swans to the tempi's that Tchaikovsky intended.

Q: These ballets are three of your best known works. Looking back, you must be very proud of them, but do you consider that they are a good representation of your work, do they sum you up in any way?

A: They represent my love of storytelling, of theatre and my desire to connect with an audience. I am extremely proud of the way our audience has grown and grown over the years and of how many people we have "turned-on" to dance. Its strange because I never set out to re-work the classics as it were. It came about by chance, when I was asked by Opera North to create a new contemporary version of Nutcracker. It seemed like a crazy idea at the time, but I soon thought, what an amazing way to tell a story through music? and not just any old music, but the best music ever written!

Q: Swan Lake, Nutcracker! and The Car Man have well-known and well-loved classical scores. You have said that you are very well aware of the fondness with which these works are viewed. How much does it worry you that you are ‘turning tradition upside down’ when you put your own personal stamp on a piece?

A: As I have said, its important if you are going to interpret a beloved work, the first thing to do is have a respect for the music and put that at the heart of your creation and inspiration. Of course the story, the period, the characters, the design may all be very different, but for me, those things have to spring from the music, rather than be imposed on it for some kind of "shock value" or "effect" . In most of my work, I have had to walk this tightrope, of trying to please people that already love the piece, and those who know nothing of the original and are seeing a fresh piece of theatre based on something they may not have seen before. This does not just apply to the classic ballets I have done, but to some of my other work such as Edward Scissorhands, Dorian Gray or the musicals Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady and Oliver! All much loved works. I think what I like to do is surprise people in my versions of these great works. Not necessarily what you might have expected but a series of (nice) surprises.


Q: You have said that you don’t see your versions of Swan Lake and Nutcracker! as ‘productions’ of classical ballets, but presumably you would like them to be considered on the same level?

A: What level is that? All productions of Swan Lake and Nutcracker are completely different. Different design, different musical selection, different stories, even different choreography! Some are great, some are good and some are close to a disgrace! A bad production of one of these pieces can put a new audience member off for years. If they have not seen Swan Lake, they could be forgiven for thinking they are all the same and they are seeing a supposed masterpiece. I think the classical versions need to be seen with the full grandeur of a top notch Opera House production with the best dancers, sets, costumes etc. Isn't this what this kind of ballet is all about? Some of the well-meaning little Russian companies that tour around could be doing these pieces a big dis-service. Audiences come to my productions expecting something different, and perhaps for those that know the pieces, a new take on an old favourite that might reveal something new about the original? One of the odd things that has happened in recent years is that my Swan Lake has become so widely seen by young audiences; many of them only know that version and find it hard to imagine with female swans! I guess only time will tell, how long my productions will survive. Nutcracker! reaches its 20th Birthday in 2012 and Swan Lake is now into its 14th year. New Adventures certainly plans to continue the revivals of all these works. Our experience has shown us that they become even more popular each time we bring them back.

Q: The Car Man is different to the other two, because you created a dance work from an operatic score. Would you consider giving another opera the same treatment?

A: Terry Davies did an amazing job on The Car Man, using the best of the Bizet, along with the Schedrin arrangements, to create a score that sounded like the best Film Noir movie score ever written! I don't see why that couldn't be done again using the wonderful melodies of Puccini or Verdi?

Q: NVC Arts has also recently released Mark Morris’ The Hard Nut, his version of The Nutcracker. Did it have any influence on your own Nutcracker! in any way?

A: I am a big fan of Mark Morris, but I didn't actually see The Hard Nut until after I had made Nutcracker! with Opera North in 1992. Our Nutcracker! was based more on a Dickensian view of Christmas - more Oliver Twist or Nicholas Nickleby than Christmas Carol though. We also had the notion that the adult dancers would all play children at our Orphange. This was somewhat inspired by the Dennis Potter TV play "Blue Remembered Hills" when adult actors such as Helen Mirren and Colin Welland played young children. Our Nutcracker! was all about growing up. Even the fantasy scenes can be seen as the teenage "experimental" years?

Q: How do you feel about the fact that Swan Lake has been set for the ‘A’ level dance syllabus?

A: It is a little disconcerting to have hoards of young people coming up to you after a performance to say "we are studying you" or "I am writing an essay on you this week". Truth is, I really love it, and again, it is something that I am endlessly proud of. Its not just Swan Lake that is studied now. All three of these works, because they are available on DVD, have become wonderful study tools for schools, though THe Car Man is obviously for the older kids! I recognised some time ago that our productions had a particular resonance for the young, who identify with the stories and the characters. We have recently formalised our commitment to our young audience with the setting up of our own Education/Creative Learning department called RE:BOURNE. In this way we are building the audiences, and indeed, the dancers of the future.

Q: You have said that film has influenced your style as much as dance. How has film/which films have influenced your approach to Swan Lake, Nutcracker! and The Car Man?

A: Much of great movie making is telling stories through imagery, and often, with the best Directors, very few words. This obviously appeals to me, as someone who is always looking for new ways to tell stories without words. My film references are possibly too numerous to mention. Sometimes a scene or situation will stick in my mind and it will come out in a stage piece of mine, but I am not sure where it has come from. Sometimes it is a particular character, or a design idea. You may not be surprised to hear that there is an element of Alfred Hitchcocks "The Birds" in my Swan Lake? Nutcracker! can be viewed like a "Wizard of Oz" like journey from Black and White (and Grey!) into an MGM inspired Technicolor extravaganza? and "The Car Man" can be seen as a tribute to a whole era of cinema, its stories and it's stars?

Q: You worked closely with the production companies that filmed these works. Was the approach to filming each work different?

A: Its true that the approach to each is extremely different. "Swan Lake" was filmed in 1996 over 4 days partly in front of an invited audience, and partly with the camera's more involved in the action. It is neither a "live" or a studio based film, and since it was filmed at the end of our very first tour (prior to the West End and Broadway runs) it has changed enormously since then. It does however capture the peerless first cast of Adam Cooper, Scott Ambler and Fiona Chadwick. "The Car Man" was filmed, over 2 weeks, in 2001 at Pinewood Studios. A great experience for us all as we were not on a stage, but in a studio, and had the chance to experiment with adapting a stage piece into a film. We were able to use some "filmic" story-telling devices, and take the action into places that could not be achieved on stage. "Nutcracker!" was filmed in front of a paying audience at Sadlers Wells over two performances in 2002 (3?) This suited this very audience friendly show perfectly and I think is the one that best captures the excitement of the "live" experience.

Q: In an interview regarding Nutcracker! you said you had learnt a lot about non-verbal storytelling in the ten years since the original Nutcracker was made. Does that mean your style has changed over the years, and how has that affected recent works like Edward Scissorhands and Dorian Gray?

A: I think the company has evolved a lot in that time. The standard of dancing has certainly improved, but more significantly, the acting skills of dancers, who are not alwayd trained actors, has become more sophisticated and varied. A lot of this was due to many people's experiences of working on "The Car Man" which required a more naturalistic approach to acting. "Nutcracker!" gave people the opportunity to explore the truth within the larger than life cartoony creations that are found in Sweetieland". In more recent productions, acting has become as important as dancing. Body language and the creation of character through movement was very important in Edward Scissorhands where every one of 25 characters on stage was completely different. "Play Without Words" and "Dorian Gray" have experimented with a more abstract form of non-verbal storytelling. I like the fact that all these productions require different dance and acting skills. It keeps everybody on their toes!

Q: What was it that drew you to the story of Dorian Gray in the first place?

A: I had loved the book since I was a teenager and it has been on my list of things to do for some years now. It was only recently, though, that I had the courage to tackle a story with such an unsympathetic leading character. I felt the audience that had followed other New Adventures work were ready for this journey now (and that has certainly been proved right with the audience reaction so far). I also felt that the time was right for a story about the obsession with "youth" and more specifically retaining youth. I could see a modern parallel in the story and I was excited about creating a piece in the present, which I had never done before.

Q: Were you disappointed with the rather mixed press reception you had for Dorian Gray, despite the sold out houses and the very enthusiastic public response?

A: All my shows have had a very mixed response from the critics to begin with, including all of the pieces in this collection. "The Car Man" in particular was not that well reviewed in 2000, but by the time of the first revival in 2007 it was greeted by some of the same writers as the return of a "classic" masterwork! I think it just takes the dance critics a few years to catch up with public! Have you read some of the first reviews of some of the now most admired work by Ashton and MacMillan?

Q: Where do you think your imagination will take you next?

A: I honestly don't know yet. It could be the adaptation of a novel, an opera, a play, a ballet, a piece of music.... I am open to anything at the moment. I would love to revive my production of Prokofiev's Cinderella, set during the Blitz in WW2. It holds a special place in my heart and is the most romantic and haunting of all our pieces. I would like to make a film, but on my own terms. One thing is for sure though. I am as devoted as I ever was to my company, New Adventures, our audiences, and the desire to tell a story. That still remains the most important instinct for me.