The Varna International Ballet and its own orchestra, led by Filippo Dessi, brings Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake to the Edinburgh Playhouse.
Varna International Ballet bring Swan Lake to the Edinburgh Playhouse on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 January 2027, both nights starting at 7:30pm. It's a production that travels with its own orchestra, led by Music Director and Chief Conductor Filippo Dessi, so the Tchaikovsky score is played live in the room rather than run from a recording.
If you've never seen it, Swan Lake is a supernatural romance between Prince Siegfried and Odette, a princess who spends her days as a swan and her nights in human form under the spell of an evil sorcerer. The sorcerer's daughter, Odile, brings a case of mistaken identity that gets in the way of their happily ever after. The dual role of Odette and Odile sits at the heart of the piece and is cited as one of ballet's foremost technical challenges, as the same dancer plays both parts.
On stage, the production uses special effects to move from the splendour of the palace ballroom to the moonlit lake where swans glide in perfect formation. The Varna International Ballet and Orchestra was founded in 1947, is led artistically by Sergei Bobrov, and is described as Bulgaria's prestigious ballet company. A hallmark of its UK tours is performing with its own orchestra rather than recorded accompaniment, which is exactly what they're doing here.
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Both performances are at the Edinburgh Playhouse, 18-22 Greenside Place, EH3 3AA, starting at 7:30pm on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 January 2027.
