Sir Matthew Bourne is a creative who transcends boundaries and has made dance accessible for the masses with groundbreaking productions such as Nutcracker!, Edward Scissorhands, and The Car Man. But it is his internationally acclaimed version of Swan Lake that catapulted him to success nearly 30 years ago, and it is Swan Lake that brings him and his company back to The Lowry Theatre from November 19. We talk about his love of the Golden Age of Hollywood, returning to Media City and his desire to surprise rather than shock.
Tell us about your childhood
I was born in London, and I had a very nice childhood with lovely parents who were theatre and movie fans. I went to the theatre a lot growing up and we were always in the cheapest seats right at the top as we couldn’t afford to sit in the stalls. Afterwards, I always wanted to try and recreate it by putting on a little show. I remember putting on a version of Cinderella at the age of 10 where the boys played girls and the girls played boys. I don’t know where the idea came from, but it seemed fun.
Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you realised that you wanted to be a dancer?
In my early years, I loved all the arts: singing, acting and dancing. When I was about 12, I went to acting classes at Mountview theatre school in Peckham but when my voice broke, I became quite self-conscious and I didn’t like using my voice and speaking in front of people, so I found the way forward for me to express myself through dance.
You started formal training in dance at 22, which is quite late. Did this present challenges?
It did, as my body wasn’t as loose or flexible as it might have been if I had started very young. But I was so passionate and grateful to be doing it that I found my own way by creating pieces and choreography I could perform to suit what I could do.
Fred Astaire. He was, and still is, my main inspiration. Growing up Iloved the big MGM musicals with stars like Fred and Ginger and still do.
In 1987 you co-founded Adventures in Motion Pictures. Tell us about the company
It started very small with me and a group of student friends who had all just finished college. We created our own company instead of waiting to be asked to perform. We did everything, from laying down the dance floor to making our costumes and not being paid very much, if at all. Gradually people left and things changed, so by 1991 Adventures in Motion Pictures became my sole company and then developed into New Adventures. Even though I was never really ambitious our pieces became bigger and more successful, and the company became bigger and bigger. It’s been incredible and the success has been largely down to Swan Lake.
Your partner, Arthur Pita, is a celebrated choreographer. Have you worked together?
We first met on Swan Lake when he was a dancer in my company, which is 28 years ago now. He’s been on other productions too. The only time we’ve choreographed together was when Dawn French asked us to help with her tour and we jumped around the stage with her, which was fun. We prefer to keep our work separate so we have our own identities. There was a period when Arthur was referred to as ‘Matthew Bourne’s boyfriend’ – even in some reviews. That’s not fair.
I do like them all a lot. But Swan Lake changed my life, giving me my first production on Broadway and success on an international level. I love Cinderella though, as I had set it in the Second World War, and it was personal for me as it was influenced by my grandparents’ experience of London during the Blitz. But they all have something special about them.
You have re-imagined so many established properties such as Swan Lake, The Car Man (using the music of Carmen), Mary Poppins and Nutcracker! How do you start the creative process on a work that is so beloved?
That’s a really good question because virtually everything that I have done has been a famous ballet, book, play or film. You play with them at your peril as you need the audience to understand why you have altered the original. For a while, it was challenging but over time, audiences have come to trust me and now expect something different.Ifeel very privileged my audiences trust me to do something they will enjoy. You do have to give people a bit of what they know and then a few surprises – not shocks. To me, shocks mean causing a degree of offence, while a surprise is something lovely and can enhance something very familiar.
You’ve worked extensively in film, TV and theatre. Do you have a favourite medium?
I don’t really like working on film as I’m a real theatre person, although I love that our shows have been filmed, giving greater access to the pieces. When you are creating something specifically for film, you don’t know what the audience is thinking – whether something is good or bad. I’m a theatre showman. I’m very audience-conscious and I love to connect with them.
I feel that when you create a piece you should bring something of yourself to it. That doesn’t mean to say I can’t or don’t interpret characters who are not like me, but it’s nice to represent who I am and reflect members of my company too. Having a gay side story felt right to me; it’s still quite rare to have that kind of representation and inclusivity in dance. Swans are powerful creatures and so to have them interpreted by men works well.
Over the years have you altered the choreography? And what kind of changes will we see this November?
Yes, we’ve altered it a lot over the years. The last major changes were six years ago where we redesigned it and included new choreography, so it won’t be too different this time. Although, when I get into the rehearsal room, I like to be free enough to make changes and respond to the new cast accordingly.
What else are you working on?
I’ve just directed and choreographed a new production of Oliver! in Chichester and that will be coming to the West End in December.I’m also working on a Stephen Sondheim tribute show I did in the West End called Old Friends, with Bernadette Peters. I will be taking it to Los Angeles next year before it transfers to Broadway. So a packed few months coming up, with some lovely projects.
I was lucky to receive an OBE before that. My parents were both alive at the time and Itook them to Buckingham Palace so they could see me collect it. That was lovely and memorable. I received the letter about the knighthood when I was at home on my own, and I remember laughing when I opened it because I couldn’t believe it. Never did I ever imagine that would happen to me. As a kid, I was a big autograph collector and I loved reading who was on the Honours List and finding out about them. I’m a big supporter of the Honours system, as I think the vast majority of those rewarded by it are people who do lovely things for their community and it’s a way of thanking them.
If you could bestow a knighthood or damehood on anybody, who would it be?
Petula Clark. I worked with her when she was 91 on Mary Poppins and she was doing eight shows a week and has been performing for more than 80 years. Why she is not a dame I do not know. She’s brilliant.
How do you look after yourself physically and mentally?
I try to switch off when I can. I have a lovely seafront place in Brighton, which I go to as often as I can as it’s my chill-out place. I binge some TV and recently I’ve been watching Sherwood on the BBC and have just finished watching The Perfect Couple on Netflix. I’m looking forward to season three of Heartstopper on Netflix. I have a Russian toy terrier called Ferdinand, and I take him for walks. I love to go out for nice meals and cocktails with friends. I’m doing something soon I’ve never done before in a rehearsal period: I’m taking a long weekend holiday and Arthur and I are going to travel on the Orient Express from Venice to Paris across the Alps. It’s a real bucket list thing for us and a lovely autumn treat.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I don’t think I would change anything. I look back and I have had a lovely life and feel very grateful. So, I would probably say: ‘Keep doing what you’re doing, Matthew.
Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, the production described by the Observer as, ‘the show that changed the dance landscape forever,’ is at The Lowry, The Quays, Salford, from Tuesday, November 19 to Saturday, November 30, as part of a 30th anniversary 2024/25 UK tour. thelowry.com/whats-on/matthew-bournes-swan-lake/#book
