Bourne to dance

Friday, April 25, 2008

Matthew Bourne talks to Jane Graham about coming late to the artform, trying to get young men interested in ballet, and the perils — and benefits — of the reality TV phenomenon. On the eve of his company's first visit to Belfast Matthew Bourne says: "I narrowly avoided becoming Craig Revel-Horwood." He laughs heartily.

As the artistic director of New Adventures, Britain's most successful commercial dance company, and the creative mind behind some of the most celebrated ballet productions of modern times (including that sensational snippet of Swan Lake at the climax of Billy Elliot), Matthew Bourne is a gargantuan presence in the world of dance, generally considered by his peers to be a true genius of the artform and a brilliant populariser of a potentially niche genre.

In terms of perception, he is a million miles away from the perma-tanned Pantomime villain panellist of Strictly Come Dancing — but that, he reveals, is what the BBC wanted him to be.

"I was actually asked to be on the panel for the first series of Strictly," he confides. "I would have been filling the Craig Revel-Horwood chair. But I didn't want to. I'm a choreographer, I've got my work to do and I didn't want my job to become being a panellist. I'm not really interested in becoming a celebrity."

Within the realms of ballet and musical theatre however, Bourne is already something of a celebrity — or at least highly celebrated.

He has won countless awards, including five Oliviers and a couple of Tonys, for the famously innovative and daring productions his internationally renowned company has brought to the stage.

His Swan Lake caused a sensation in 1995 with a bold reinterpretation which introduced a dark sexual edge and subverted the traditional gender roles within the much loved old classic (it has since become a set work for the Dance A-level).

His wordless version of Edward Scissorhands got audiences and critics similarly excited in 2006 and his Nutcracker! — playing in Northern Ireland for the first time next week — has garnered further rave reviews for its originality, wit and humour. He's been the subject of a South Bank Show and a Channel 4 documentary and in 2001 was awarded an OBE.

Although he protests that he'll "never be on the Jonathan Ross show" , Bourne is as hyped and heralded as any one-man dance phenomenon since, um, Michael Flatley. Except Bourne has class. And versatility. And a sense of humour. The ex-dancer also has a keen urge to impress upon more and more 'doubters' the joys of dance and for that, though he didn't fancy participating on screen, he is truly thankful to Strictly Come Dancing.

"A lot of people are very snooty but I think its fantastic," he says. "It's made a lot of people more interested in dance. For me the pleasure of it — and it brings tears to my eyes — is the absolute joy people get from getting it right. You really feel it — it's genuine — it's TV that's not fake. It's not actors acting, these people are really full of joy because of what they've achieved."

It's clear that Bourne is not interested in cloaking himself in rarefied air — he is obsessed with making converts of ballet 'first timers' and enjoys setting himself new audience challenges with each show. With Nutcracker! he was particularly keen to attract that most elusive of punters — the young man — and came up with an ingenious ploy in order to do it.

"We have these characters called gobstoppers," he explains. " Gobby lads, head-banging bovver boys who wear crash helmets — they're almost hoodies. Young guys really love them. They don't expect to see something like that in a ballet."

Gauging audience reaction to his work is extremely important to Bourne — so much so that if you happen to express distaste at the interval of one of his shows, the chances are he'll hear you.

"I like to sit within the audience, right in the middle for the whole show and I feel what they're feeling," he confesses. "I mingle at the interval and listen to people's conversations. Sometimes I speak to people and ask them what they thought. I try to tap into different audiences because I came to the ballet world pretty late (Bourne started his dance training at 22) and in my early years I didn't know much about ballet at all. I'm trying to get to people that are like I used to be."

Bourne's influences and inspirations are varied and often surprising, from his idol Fred Astaire to "probably the greatest dancer of all time" Mikhail Baryshnikov, taking in Tim Burton, Alfred Hitchcock and even Terry Thomas along the way. The unusually disparate make-up of his vision and his genuine interest in the artless masses may go some way to explain his success — and also his enduring appeal to both West End and television producers.

He turned down Strictly Come Dancing, but Bourne is involved in another TV show which has caused a little storm lately — BBC1's talent search show I'd Do Anything, the focus of Kevin Spacey's recent outburst against the BBC's 'free promotion' of musical theatre. Bourne will be choreographing the Drury Lane production of Oliver! which the British public are currently choosing the leads for through the TV programme.

"I'm not actively involved onscreen but I'm involved in the background," he tells me. "I'm on the phone to various people from the series, talking about who I like, who would be good. As far as the Spacey thing goes ... I think people are right to question some connections.

"They've righted some wrongs this series and it's good that Andrew (Lloyd Webber) is not producing the stage show — not having the producer on the panel is the right thing. But I think all of the concerns — and I'm sure Kevin Spacey would agree — are outweighed by the amazing interest the programme creates in theatre and live shows. Theatre gets so little publicity in mainstream entertainment that we should be grateful for it."

Doesn't he worry about the public choosing his leads? Does he trust them?

"It could be a concern," he admits. "But Andrew gets the chance to save someone every week and he will discuss his choice with everyone so he can keep the ones we like in. And going by the first two series, the public generally get it right."

Bourne doesn't seen unduly worried that he could be dealt a couple of duds but we shouldn't jump to the conclusion that he knows something he's not telling us — his optimism may just be further evidence of his unshakeable trust in the general public to respond positively and earnestly when engaging with song and dance. It's a trust that'll be tested many more times — such as at the Edinburgh Festival this summer when he premieres his latest venture, a 21st century update of The Picture of Dorian Gray — but it has served him well for 20 years.

Perhaps Northern Ireland will repay his faith by sending their directionless, energetic young men along to see Nutcracker! Let's hope he knows what he's letting himself in for ...

Nutcracker! runs at the Grand Opera House from April 29-May 3. Box office 9024 1919.