As my first post, I would love to offer a defence of the Australian Ballet's new Swan Lake.
Yes we had the traditional '77 Wooliams production which had served us well for 25 years, but I applaud Ross Stretton for commissioning Graham Murphy (and his artist associate Janet Vernon) to create a new completely new interpretation. Murphy was given absolute carte blanche, but like with his new Firebird, he decided to stay true to the spirit of the ballet. Yes this is not a production for traditionalists looking for another Petipa/Ivanov version, but it is definitely a solid artistic choice to draw parallels with the story of Charles and Diana. By taking the supernatural and the tutus out, Murphy created a production that is accessible for a non-ballet-going audience, while giving the regular balletomane a Swan Lake unlike any other.
