A Swan Lake Ballet About Charles, Diana and Camilla

The British Royal love triangle is at the centre of Australian Ballet’s very scandalous Swan Lake. What will the Brits think?

The Australian Ballet has a long history with England and its Royal family: three years after its inception in 1962, the company presented a gala performance of Raymonda (guest-starring Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev) for the Queen, the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. Its latest tour to London is taking the relationship a step further, with the Royal family as its subject.

Inspired by the notorious love triangle between Princess Diana, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles, Graeme Murphy’s 2002 Swan Lake will be performed at the Coliseum, the West End's largest theatre, from July 13-16. In this iteration of the classic ballet, Murphy’s Odette is a young bride who suspects her new husband Prince Siegfried of being involved with his former lover Baroness Rothbart. Her paranoia unchecked, Odette is carted off to an asylum by her mother-in-law. The ending, as we know, is not a happy one.

Also part of the 2016 London tour is Russian-American Alexei Ratmansky’s 2002 Cinderella, which was entirely revised in 2013 for the Australian Ballet. It’s a witty take on the classic fairy tale that’s met with glee and delight at each outing. This version is set in modern times with silly, feckless stepsisters, a maniacal stepmother and a drunken wastrel of a father. Oh, and there’s a decidedly celestial theme, with glamorous costumes by Jerôme Kaplan that draw inspiration from Dior’s 1940s glamour. It’s had sell-out seasons in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, and will be staged in London from 20 to 23 July.

Qantas is ensuring the safe passage of hundreds of pairs of pointe shoes and some of our country’s most talented dancers as they make their way to London’s West End.

Visit AustralianBallet.com.au to find out more.

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