Feather dusters, a puppet rabbit and men in kilts. It's not exactly what you'd expect to see at the ballet, but Matthew Bourne has never been one for conventional choreography. Highland Fling is his take on the early 19th century ballet la Sylphide, although you'd be forgiven for not recognising it in the opening scenes. As a rendition of Donald Where's Your Troosers gives way to the thumping beats of modern dance music, I know this is going to be no ordinary ballet. It opens in the toilets of a nightclub, where the groom and bride-to-be are enjoying their final moments of freedom - but we also catch a glimpse of the Sylph, who will eventually come between them. The first act of Highland Fling is more like a danced comedy featuring the drunken antics of tartan-clad revellers dancing to the original 19th century music by Hermann Severin Lovenskyold. Hints of a drugs culture make the visions of the Sylph more believable, and the familiar scenes of a morning after the night before set against an entirely tartan flat, never failed to raise a smile from the audience. When the Sylph makes her reappearance leading the groom astray, her mischievous yet precise steps give a glimpse of the more classical dancing which will follow later in the ballet. When the lights dim for the second act, the only reminders of the modern day setting are an abandoned car and the lights of the city in the distance.  | | Sylph and James |
The two acts of Highland Fling couldn't be more different. The humour in the first is more universally appealing and is a classic example of how Bourne takes ballet outside of its classical boundaries to a wider audience. The haunting dances of the Sylphs in the second act follow a more traditional theme and lead the ballet to its tragic and shocking end. Highland Fling may not be as fulfilling as Bourne's later work, such as his version of Swan Lake, but it's still entertaining and thought-provoking. Although the difference in the two acts may be too big a leap for some, what Bourne has succeeded in doing, is showing that romantic dreams of the 19th century are still as relevant today. Highland Fling runs at the Norwich Theatre Royal until Saturday 14 May, 2005. For ticket information call 01603 630000. | 
