SWAN? from Lauren Brady and HEYwire Theatre flips Swan Lake into a dark, seductive and very funny confession from a chain-smoking, half-swan, half-ballerina who’s trying to break her curse without losing herself. Brady folds ballet with clown, bouffon and song, letting classic steps collide with sharp, silly impulse. The staging is sparse: light, open space, a glittery crown and a small box sketch the lake so Brady and her movement really tell the story. As she rewires the tale we know, the piece looks squarely at power, desire and what we’re asked to trade away in the name of love, always with wit and a wicked glance.
The show is close and playful. Brady welcomes us as “creatures of the lake,” plucks “heroes” from the crowd to help with the box, leads a sparkle-chest warm-up, and hands out tiny star tokens. The visual here (as seen on the poster) is really striking, one minute she’s up on pointe in clean lines; the next she’s a ruffled bird sliding low across the floor. She names cigarette butts like old friends, jokes about worms for breakfast, then slips into a soft confession under an imagined moon. It’s odd and gorgeous at once, and you always feel looked after.
What lingers is Brady’s control: quick timing, fearless physicality, and a warm hold on the room. The satire of fairy-tale rules lands without cruelty, and the show treats ideas of consent, control and self-worth with care and clarity. By the end, the myth feels cracked open.
Runs until 24 August 2025
