On a chilly January evening long queues of people, predominantly women dressed in smart winter coats, descended upon the Manchester Opera House for Nerubashenko Ballet’s Swan Lake. Even Corrie’s Jennie McAlpine, who plays Fiz Dobbs, was among those filing into the theatre for the performance.
Swan Lake is one of the best-loved ballets in the world, combining Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s beautiful music with a magical fairytale. It tells the story of Prince Siegfried, who falls in love with Odette, the queen of the swans, who has been cursed by the sorcerer Rothbart.
It’s Tcahikobsly’s music which immersed us in this world first of all, as the orchestra began playing before the curtain even rose. As the stage was unveiled, the audience was transported to a mediaeval party scene where we were introduced to Prince Siegfried, performed by Yerkin Rakhmatullayev.
