Celebrating the 30th anniversary of his legendary stage production, Matthew Bourne tells the BBC about the show that radically changed ballet with one “big idea”.

The most iconic dance costume of recent times may be a pair of white feathery breeches on permanent display at London’s V&A museum. They’re a tribute to choreographer Matthew Bourne’s gender-flipping dance version of the ballet Swan Lake. The production, which first premiered in London in November 1995, ruffled feathers in many ways because the swans, until then female roles, were played by male dancers. It went on to become the longest running full-length dance classic in the West End and on Broadway, winning both Olivier and Tony awards.

As the show celebrates its 30th anniversary with a 2024/25 tour, Matthew Bourne tells the BBC the story of the landmark production.

“I think most people thought that when they came to see it, they were going to see men in tutus,” says Matthew Bourne, of public expectations back in 1995.

The young, London-born choreographer, then aged 35, had been given the opportunity to stage his own version of Swan Lake at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre. It was a cherished dream for him, he says, “because I’ve always loved and identified with the story”. His big idea, he recalls, “was that all the swans would be male. Everything else about the production flowed from that one simple idea”.