Beguiling, mesmerising, disturbing - you could work your way through a thesaurus trying to find enough adjectives to describe Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake.

It was a real coup for the Mayflower to get this acclaimed production and you could feel the expectation in the air - we were an audience waiting to be dazzled.

After all, Bourne's audacious reinterpretation of the classic ballet has won over 30 theatre awards, including three Tonys, and has become the longest running ballet on the West End and Broadway.

Wherever it has gone over the past two decades, it has delighted audiences and critics and now Southampton can be added to the list of fans.

Bourne has succeeded in not just breaking new ground, but shattering it into oblivion with his portrayal of a prince desperate for affection from his disinterested mother and haunted by dreams of swans.

There are deft comic touches interspersed with frantic, raw moments, we can do nothing but watch aghast as the prince wrestles with his torment.

The decision to have an all-male cast of swans, with their dramatic black eye make up and feathered trousers, has long been acknowledged as an inspired touch, especially when coupled with choreography that somehow manages to be both elegant and aggressive.

The rhythms change in the blink of an eye; the swans draw you in, they scare you off, it's unnerving yet wonderful. You can feel the prince's anguish and understand his passion as he is sucked into their world.

The dual role of lead swan and stranger works well and there is welcome light relief from the Prince's girlfriend as she attempts to ingratiate herself with the glacial Queen.

It all makes this a show that is as appealing to ballet aficionados as it is to dance novices. Go and see what all the fuss is about, you won't regret it.