Matthew Bourne's Dorian Grey

Let me say, straight away, I have never been a fan of traditional ballet. All those tutus and codpieces floating across the stage with nary a glimpse of colour; the campest male dancers this side of a Seaside Special trying desperately to look butch enough to lift a prima ballerina with thighs like sinews. It never worked for me.
Therefore I was a dreading an evening of faux butch-ery at Leicester's Curve Theatre when Matthew Bourne's much talked about production of Dorian Gray decamped at J21 of the M1.
Mr Bourne, however, is as far from a traditional choreographer as it is possible to be. His reworking of Oscar Wilde's masterpiece provides visual spectacle, amazing dancing and even humour to convert even the most reluctant audience member to the joys of classical (-ish) dance.
With a stunning cast of beautiful boys and girls who can do everything Bourne asks of them and more, a set that is imaginative and unbelievably technical for a touring production and a modernised story which holds a mirror up to today's craving for more than just 15 minutes of fame, and no morals as to how they get it.
This incarnation of Dorian Gray is a pretty boy who is plucked from the obscurity of waiting at tables to become the face of Immortal perfume. Hand in hand with the untold riches, drink and drugs, Dorian pays the penalty, ultimately, with his morality and kills the very things he craves, love and security. There is no picture in the attic but a doppelganger who becomes more perfect as Dorian descends into madness and thus takes over his world as Dorian falls apart.
Dorian Gray is touring the country until at least November and all venues have meet-the-choreographer evenings by arrangement.
http://www.new-adventures.net/dorian gray/tour

© Paul Towers 16/9/2009