SAY the words ‘Swan Lake’ and many people will think of pointy shoes, tutus and funny headdresses.

But Matthew Bourne’s thrilling interpretation of this classic, set to Tchaikovsky’s score, is a spellbinding departure from every preconceived idea of ballet, classics, and tradition.

Bourne has created a new tradition with his animalistic male swans, in this 18 year old reworking of the iconic tale of passion.

His virile swans have taken the role and the ballet to a new level, and a new audience.

Initially performed in 1995, a time when several royal marriages were under the spotlight, this Swan Lake is a tongue in cheek look at the world of status, royalty and adulation.

It is a story of the transforming power of love, as the Prince seeks a soul mate and craves affection he finds love in the most unlikely of places, a male swan.

The Swan is a haunting and beautiful creature offering the Prince a glimpse of what it is like to be really loved.

The Prince's story takes us on a heart rending journey of infatuation and desire, which ends with crushing devastation, leaving both him and, ultimately, us heartbroken.

A brilliant performance, in which The Royal Ball scene was phenomenal.

Passions, intrigue, love, desire, hurt are all played out amid the formality and sequential dance at a ball, leading us to the final and devastating denouement. An outstanding show.