Matthew Bourne's reworking of Taglioni's 1832 ballet La Sylphide is fresh and funny and thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. Bourne moves the tale of a country boy seduced by a nymph to a modern day urban Scotland of nightclub toilets and tower blocks.
The first scene sees James slumped against the urinals, glimpsing the sylph for the first time as she appears through a haze of drink and drugs. He struggles to his feet to join a frantic ensemble piece that takes great delight in its depiction of a drunken night out, with the cast accompanied by ever-present cans of lager. This mood continues throughout the first act. It is fast and energetic and full of visual gags. The second act is darker and less carefree, though zips along with the same furious pace.
Despite spending most of the production completely out of control, James is a remarkably sympathetic and likeable character. It is a triumph of the choreography that he is at once faltering and graceful. The most memorable moments are his dances with the sylph, stumbling after her in a bewildered stupor or chasing her madly across the stage. When they dance close she appears to float above him, emphasizing her fragility. The sylph is masterfully characterized as both predator and pursued; she is mischievous and alluring, yet lonely and vulnerable and ultimately tragic.
While James sports the vested-kilted look popularized by Scott's Porridge Oats, his friends are ridiculously overdressed in garish tartan suits. Such wonderful overindulgence is matched by the set, a lavish tartan extravagance. The walls of the house are tastefully designed to complement the costumes and are adorned with such paraphernalia as a photograph of Sean Connery and a Rangers pennant. Fortunately all this oh-so-Scottish hedonism isn't meant to be taken seriously. James and the sylph make love in a burnt out car, watched by a variety of furry forest friends and there is even room for a cameo appearance by a Rod Stewart album.
When billing itself as ‘a romantic wee ballet' Highland Fling is doing itself something of an injustice. It may be short but it is a storming big performance.
