The Russian Stanislavski Ballet's Swan Lake succeeds brilliantly as spectacle, as was proved by its enthusiastic reception at the Point on Thursday.

Yet the production failed to tell its fairy tale. This is strange since it was the Burmeister version, which sets a prologue to the overture, showing how Princess Odette fell under evil Von Rothbart's spell.

Tatiana Tchernobrovkina is technically splendid as Odette, well partnered by Georgi Smilevsky as Siegfried. But there is no chemistry between; they throw away the love story that has - together with Tchaikovsky's score (given full measure by the NSO conducted by Georgy Zhenchuzhin) - made this everyone's favourite ballet.

Swan Lake will be repeated tomorrow (Sunday) at 2p.m. and 7.30p.m.; The Nutcracker will be performed at 2p.m. and 7.30p.m. today.