The Information on: English National Ballet's `Swan Lake'

What Is It?

Derek Deane thinks big for this revival of his huge, arena-scale Swan Lake, playing to audiences of 5,000 a night in the Albert Hall.

Who's In It?

Deane has recruited 51 dancers for the production - almost doubling the English National Ballet in size - including Margaret Illmann and Thomas Edur, together with four jugglers, three acrobats and students from Elmhurst Ballet School.

What They Say About It

"To have 61 swans on stage at once seems to me too much... it would help if the four male soloists could keep in time with each other and the music," John Percival, The Independent.

"It looks even better than before... the effect is truly stirring," Jenny Gilbert, Independent on Sunday.

"Sixty swans flocking the stage in perfectly symmetric patterns produces a true theatrical shiver... the fact that 5,000 people a night are experiencing that shiver is nice for ENB. It's not, however, the thrill they would get from seeing a great performance of the real Swan Lake," Judith Mackrell, The Guardian.

Where You Can See It

Swan Lake is at the Royal Albert Hall, London SW7 (0171-589 8212) until 26 Jun, then tours Manchester, Glasgow, Sheffield and Birmingham.