Matthew Bourne's Early Adventures in Oxford

Funny, quirky and totally engaging. The costumes were absolutely impeccable and the music was very recognisable. We were treated to 3 segments of nostalgia, presented in a contemporary and sometimes challenging manner. Matthew Bourne, today's choreographer had in fact danced in these shows over 20 years ago and they must have been quite radical at the time. The first show, Spitfire, has four men dancing in a slightly variant classical style in their underwear. The inspiration from underwear catalogues was clear and the stances and facial expressions were so well connected through some amazing moves - these men really danced together, lifted each other and moved with dynamism and force. I had never seen anything like this before and was totally spellbound. The next 2 part show Town and Country offered contrasting vignettes from aristocratic post war Britain. Town scenes included drinking tea in hotel lobbies, a secret rendezvous at the station, and the maid and butler assisted bathing and dressing in grand style. I loved the tweeds and jodhpurs of the country scenes,contrasted by the white frills and flowery bodices in the next. The final segment, Infernal Galop, took us to 1930's Paris, accompanied by the expected music of Edith Piaf and the can-can. It was really uplifting and showcased gay lovers within the normal hub bub of the time. I love watching Matthew Bourne's compositions and can only look forward to the next one...