I know I'm in my own world... it's okay, they know me here

So today I went to see Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake at the local theatre (by myself, because I only found out it was on here on Friday, and it finishes today, and then when I called up I got quite literally the only ticket remaining. I was very impressed with my luck.) In case you haven't heard of it, this particular production is famous because rather than the swans being female and the love interest being a transformed princess, in this version all the swans are MALE. And the Prince falls in love with a Swan Prince.





It's a really drastic re-imagining compared to the original story, if I'm honest (though I didn't actually know the story when I went - I read it online afterwards! Badly prepared!) BUT. But. It was so, so beautiful. All the dancers were amazing, but the Prince and the Swan Prince had such wonderful line and grace to their dancing, and unusually wonderful acting, too - their expressions held such yearning! And when the Swan Prince protected the Prince from the other swans, the look on his face just made me ache.

Of course, it helped that the guy playing the Swan Prince was TOTALLY SMOKING HOT. Just sayin'.

On top of their technical proficiency as dancers, one of the things I thought was really interesting about the production was the way in which the man cast as the Prince was very young-looking and slender compared to the heavier, more muscular and older-looking Swan Prince, subverting the traditional male/female roles of the piece. In addition to this, the male/female roles in their dances together ebbed and flowed between them so that neither was exclusively in the more submissive role; this made it more equal between the two and avoided feminising one of them, which would effectively cancel out the impact of the swans' gender change. It was like the very best slash - keeping both of them male without sacrificing the romantic elements between them.

The swans in general were very well done, and in fact very sinister as a group at times. Partly this was the stark black eye make-up against a general whitening of their skin, but the choreography really contributed to making them menacing, and the Swan Prince was at turns menacing or seductive. It felt at times more like it was really telling the story of a straight man falling in love with another man.

I don't know how much longer it's on tour, but if you get a chance to, really, really do take it. It's got me all fired up and imagining.

I'M BACK!!!

I bought a million t-shirts and a million books and four DVD boxsets (Sears is really weirdly cheap, whole seasons for what is the equivalent atm of £20 with the great exchange rate - got Prison Break Season One, The Sentinel Season One, Medium Season One and Numb3rs Season One) and it was fab right up to the point in the queue to check-in for the flight back where I CAUGHT MY DAD'S STUPID AWFUL COLD. It managed to develop from a slightly bunged nose then into a full-on stuffed-up, sore throat, headache horrible cold by the time I got on the plane for the first leg of our trip home, a six-and-a-half hour flight from Chicago to Dublin overnight. And then when we finally got home I tried to take some better medicine and threw up in the sink. I'm a bit better now, thanks to Day Nurse, but it couldn't have bloody waited until we were all the way home so I didn't have to do the whole journey like that, could it. Nooooo...

ANYHOO

Had a great time. The sky is so big in Wisconsin, it's actually kinda scary for somebody who's used to the hills and not those great wide plains with nothing to obscure the view. And Chicago - if ever I go to live in the States, which I might for a couple of years (you can do that as an orthoptist, which is neat) then I'd like to live there. Pretty much everyone is really friendly and helpful, and there aren't as many really dumb annoying people as you think there might be (no offense to any Americans, but we don't get the best impression of you here in Britain any more. Blame George Bush.) I was really glad to get home, anyway. Proper British cars! Proper British trees and spindly old fences! Proper British windy little lanes where not even two Mini's can get past each other but we manage anyway!

BTW - can anyone give me a synopsis of this whole thing with the terrorists and the planes? This happens every year when I go on holiday, and then I can never find out enough about it to really understand what's going on.

Also, pobbit, did you get the CD of SGA I posted you? And does anyone have eps four and five of season three? ETA: Found them with a million seeds, so got them basically dled now :)

ETA2: Would anyone be interested in an essay I'm thinking of writing about slash, and the things that make us see that in relationships between male characters? I was trying to get to sleep one night in the States and ended up thinking about it as a proposal for the next Slash Study Day, if I end up being able to go. It's going to have a kick-ass title, too, "All But(t) Sex - What Are You Seeing That I'm Not?" (The original was "All But(t) Sex - You're Making This Shit Up, Aren't You?" but I decided it wasn't descriptive enough despite being funny ^-^)

So today I sent Aaron an email basically telling him that nothing's going to happen. And I feel like a real heel, too. So, self-esteem for all!

LATER:

OHMIGOD WATCHED THE END OF STARGATE ATLANTIS SEASON ONE! *has a heart-attack*

Medic: We need Season Two on DVD, stat!
Amy: It's coming out four episodes per month in the UK starting this April! But that would be really expensive! They might finish by September but who knows how long I'll have to wait for the boxset! When's it out in the US? *reaches out with her rapidly-cooling hands to try and find it on the internet*

Waah, I love it so much I want more! Will have to watch more SG-1 as it is relatively the same thing, even if it doesn't mean I find out if John survives his suicide mission (I know he will, because he's the hero, but you know what I mean! You get to the point where you're sitting there going "Ohmigod! John, please be okay, you're too lovely and cool and hot to die!" {And Rodney is totally thinking that too, Sammy, so there!})

God I love Stargate. I may be a weirdo, but at least I'm a weirdo with good taste!