The Stars Shine Bright in Northern Ballet's Romeo and Juliet

Harris Beattie and Filippo Di Vilio in Romeo and Juliet. Photo Emily Nuttall.

On at the RSC Stratford-upon-Avon until 28 September 2024 Northern Ballet's Romeo and Juliet with music by Sergei Prokofiev.

Reviewer – Wynne Lang

While I have been lucky enough to see quite a few ballet performances, this was the first time I had been in the audience for one based on a Shakespearean play. In addition, it was on a stage famous for many wonderful productions of the Bard’s work, so what an excellent choice the RSC made in inviting Northern Ballet to perform this spectacular interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s best known plays.

From the opening scene and throughout, the stage was alive with a visual feast. This is a play that is perfect for the adaptation to dance. Emotions run high as the warring families charge at each other full of vengeance and hatred, while the passions of young love are delicately explored by the two principal characters. It is the highly charged nature of the story that gives the ballet its intensity. Alongside, are the many contrasts: love and hate; youth and age; duty and freedom- all of which lend an intensity which is perfect for expressive dancing.

Helen Bogatch in Romeo and Juliet. Photo Emily Nuttall.

In this production the Capulets are an unpleasant lot. Their aggression and arrogance is clear as they strut and swagger across the stage. Their costumes are studded black and gold, and whenever they are on stage they demand attention through their dramatic gestures. In contrast the rest of the cast wear bright colours and informal clothes, which also allows the Montagus to be seen as part of the ordinary folk. This contrast works particularly well when Romeo and his friends gatecrash the Capulet’s ball.

The ball itself is a magnificent, extended set-piece, and the Capulets’ love of power and order is given full expression in the famous ‘dance of the knights’ to Prokofiev’s majestic score.

Northern Ballet's Romeo and Juliet. Photo by Emily Nuttall.

At the heart of the joy and fun in the first part of the ballet is Mercutio, and what vitality is brought to this part through dance! His leaping is gravity defying and mesmerising to watch. The famous fight scene when the Capulets arrive is shown as chaotic as all of the main stage is filled with movement and action.

While this is going on, Romeo and Juliet are falling in love. Gently and tentatively at first, then becoming passionate and all consuming. Their pas de deux in the famous balcony scene is breath-takingly tender, and hints in their reluctance to separate, at the future anguish they are as yet unaware of.

Romeo and Juliet at the RSC. Photo Emily Nuttall.

This is a revived production by Northern Ballet, and was first performed in the early nineties. Whatever changes might have been made in choreography, it still has a respectful, traditional feel, brought out especially in the stage design. Imposing columns and pilasters are moved around to create significant spaces; the town square, the palace of the Capulets, and finally their family tomb.

The Stratford stage works very well for this, as its full depth is exploited. In addition there is a bonus, as its thrust design lends intimacy to the scenes involving the lovers, which traditional staging could never manage to do.