When the British choreographer Matthew Bourne first staged his "Swan Lake" in 1995 at the off-West End Sadler's Wells Theatre, most critics and members of the dance establishment simply didn't know what to make of it. That, however, didn't stop the production becoming an instant hit in the West End when it moved there the following year. It went on to become one of the decade's outstanding international stage successes.
Now, after bringing three productions to these shores -- "The Car Man" (2002), "Swan Lake" (2003) and "The Nutcracker" this March -- Bourne's company, New Adventures, has become one of the most sought-after foreign troupes for Japanese promoters, and their shows among the hottest tickets in town. This Friday, Bourne's "Play Without Words" will begin an unusually long run (four weeks) at Theatre Cocoon in Shibuya, less than two years after its London debut at the National Theatre in August 2002.
Based on the 1963 British movie "The Servant" (for which Harold Pinter wrote the screenplay), "Play Without Words" has as its central character Anthony, a young, upper-class twit who has recently moved into a luxury house in London's swanky Chelsea district. He hires a servant named Prentice, whom he soon comes to trust absolutely -- much to the chagrin of his girlfriend, Glenda, who feels Anthony should uphold the class divide. This, though, doesn't stop Glenda being drawn to Speight, a working-class friend of Prentice's and eventually hopping into bed with him. In turn Anthony gets under the sheets with Sheila, his sexy young maid. While the "masters" are distracted it isn't long before Prentice is in fact calling the shots in the household. Set over a monthlong period, "Play Without Words" not only tells a titillating tale, but also depicts a deeper drama of social upheaval.