Sci&Tech Editor Georgia Brooks reviews the Romeo and Juliet ballet, praising Matthew’s Bourne modern take on the classic story
Content warnings for this review include: sexual assault, homophobia, transphobia, abuse and trauma
From the striking opening of our two lovers, blood stained in white, lying together on a bed in the ‘Verona Institute,’ right through to its spectacularly mirrored finale, Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet is in turn beautiful, distressing, sensual, comedic, and harrowing. This ballet is now on tour after the original production in 2019, currently playing at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, and will soon be seen by international audiences. Bourne takes the timeless and much-adapted tale and, as we have come to expect from his works, revamps and reimagines it in a current and relevant production of the highest standard. While Bourne takes creative licence with the original plot, the emphasis remains very much on the intensity of young love.
Bourne takes the timeless and much-adapted tale and…reimagines it in a current and relevant production
Where the focus and central conflict within Romeo and Juliet tends to be on the two rival families, and the love story that flourishes between our star-crossed protagonists, Bourne subverts this struggle. In his hands, it becomes a fight of young people against the system. While the exact nature of the ‘Verona Institute’ is left for the audience to decide, the conflict presented is between the young inmates of the Institute and the adults who keep them there. Incorporated within this retelling are narratives of homophobia, transgender issues and, perhaps most distressingly, abuse and trauma. The character of Tybalt (Adam Galbraith) has become a guard at the Institute, who abuses his position of power and sexually assaults the inmates; this lends a new layer of meaning to the dark and traumatic ending, particularly for Juliet (Cordelia Braithwaite), who has had so much inflicted upon her.
All of the choreography was physical and visceral, yet never lacking in fluidity
Cordelia Braithwaite, our Juliet, truly captured the anguish and suffering of her character, and was perfectly paired with Paris Fitzpatrick’s Romeo – at times goofy, but never far from the serious setting we find him in. Their duets particularly stood out – the sensual lightness with which their bodies almost floated around each other to convey the emotions of their young love. The group numbers were also spectacular, evoking the restrictive and confining circumstances and making use of the ingenious set with staircases, chairs, and a particularly engaging bed scene, and there were plenty of individual narratives told alongside the famous pair’s story. The show and dancing also made use of light and shadows, with Romeo and Juliet dodging spotlights during their nighttime rendezvous, and the shadows of the figures of authority looming over the stage and reflecting off the white-tiled wall of the Institute. All of the choreography was physical and visceral, yet never lacking in fluidity, which captured the youth and situation of the characters, and fitted perfectly to the iconic score by Sergei Prokofiev, arranged for this production by Terry Davies.
Bourne has created a ballet that feels fully reflective of the times that we live in and effectively tackles many contemporary issues. It is a beautifully choreographed, brilliantly scored adaptation of the poignant and painful original ballet that undoubtedly deserves the praise it has garnered.
Romeo and Juliet played at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre until 21st October
Rating: 5/5
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