Dance is in the blood for Richard Winsor
“Matthew has a real interest in story-telling and that is what really appeals to me,” he says. “It is telling a narrative story with strong characters. Swan Lake is a really powerful show which can still entertain even after 15 or 20 years.”
While he is more than happy to be in Matthew’s most famous production, Richard admits that it is new work which really inspires him.
“I always like to do new things,” he says. “Quite early on with Play Without Words I got a taste for it. To make a role your own and build that character through your movement and narrative is something very special.
“I would have always wanted to do something like Dorian Gray where the lead role was so complex and the story had such depth to it.
“With Swan Lake it is more difficult to make the role your own. This is the work which really catapulted Matthew into the stratosphere and there needs to be a recurrent style with the role. You need to really keep that the same.”
And Richard is also spreading his wings beyond dance, having played the Monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in Northampton and taking the lead role of Tomas in a new film Street Dance 3D.
“The film was a really good experience for me as it is like a Hollywood dance movie but was made in the UK,” he says. “It was shot all round London during August of last year. I am really looking forward to its release in May.
“I really like doing new things as long as the quality is there. One of the good things with working with Matthew is that there are breaks when you can do other things. I love dance but I also like to do more dramatic acting roles and I would like to do more films.”
The build up to the release of Street Dance 3D will take Richard out of Swan Lake for a while.
“I am doing the UK tour and then a couple of weeks in Athens in April but I will then leave the show to do the promotion work for the film,” he says.
“After that I would like to continue working with Matthew but you have to be aware that as a dancer you get older and it can become more difficult to take on some of the roles. Not that I am anywhere near that yet.”
His mum Louella remains one of Richard’s biggest fans – but also one of his most vocal critics.
“She comes to see each of the shows, I think she is very proud of me,” Richard says. “She has always been very supportive but isn’t pushy. But she still gives me the odd critical comment, because she knows.”
* Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, Birmingham Hippodrome, Feb 8-13, tickets: 0844 338 5000, www.birminghamhippodrome.com
