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Romeo and performed Matthew Bourne’s by by the Royal Ballet, Romeo + Juliet directed by and Juliet (the choreographed by Kenneth Baz Luhrmann Juliet & Romeo by Lost Dog original) MacMillan YEAR PRODUCED 2019 Circa 1594-1597 1965 1996 2018

GENRE Dance Theatre Play (Original Text) Classical Ballet Film Dance Theatre In the stark, antiseptic and Romeo and Juliet is a tragic unfeeling interior of the love story. Romeo Montague An American romantic crime Verona Institute young men and Juliet Capulet belong to tragedy. This film is an This show sets out to put the and women are stifled by a powerful feuding families adaptation and modernisation record straight and tell the repressive regime that and are therefore destined of Shakespeare’s original and ‘real’ story of Romeo and Juliet. dampens all spirits and to never be together. They appears as the second It turns out they didn’t die in a emotions. The inmates' lives meet by chance at a party instalment in Luhrmann's Red tragic misunderstanding in a are marked out by the mind- thrown by the Capulets, at Curtain Trilogy concept tomb in Verona after all. In fact, numbing rigours of daily which Romeo had gate- following Strictly Ballroom they eloped, set up home exercise, therapy and sleep. crashed with the hope of and preceding Moulin Rouge. together and produced a baby The male and female seeing – the young Situated in a modern beach daughter, called Sophie. Now inmates are for the most woman he intends to marry. setting that is part decaying they find themselves all grown- part segregated. When It is for Miami and part Mexico City, in up and in the grip of a marriage Romeo arrives he falls in the star-crossed lovers and a ‘world’ of Luhrmann’s he crisis. OVERVIEW love with the strong, Romeo and Juliet can think As per the original borrows aspects of its unique selfless and beautiful Juliet of no-one else except each visual style from such Feeling constantly mocked by straightaway. A brutal other from that point decades such as the 1940s, their teenage selves and institute guard, is onwards. Juliet’s hand in 1970s, and 1990s It’s fast- haunted by the pressures of also captivated by her and marriage has been paced and full of cars and being the poster couple for she is the object of his promised to , a suitor firearms. Here the Montague romantic love they decide to regular abuse. As tensions of her father’s choosing and the Capulet families are confront their current struggles within the institute rise, a however, which does not warring mafia empires. This by putting on a performance – scuffle breaks out and bode well for Romeo. Juliet is an era of dystopian about themselves. As it turns is fatally wounded defies her father’s wishes dysfunctionality where drugs, out however, there memory of by a single shot from and turns to guns and the breakdown of their past doesn’t always Tybalt’s gun. With Juliet for help knowing that civil society is the new match. leading the charge, and Romeo is her one true love. normal. with the full support of Friar Laurence concocts a

Romeo and the other plan for Juliet to fake her residents, they set upon own death to get out of her Tybalt and Juliet strangles marriage to Paris. Then, him with his own belt. Life after the potion she has at the Verona Institute takes taken has worn off she will a turn for the worse and awaken and will be free to Romeo is put into solitary escape with Romeo. A confinement. Desperate, message detailing the Juliet seeks the help of Rev. arrangements fails to reach Bernadette Laurence so she Romeo though and he can be reunited with him. believes Juliet death is real. Whilst alone in his cell, Heartbroken he drinks Juliet becomes disorientated poison and takes his own and disturbed and believes life. When Juliet wakes from Tybalt is alive after all and her slumber she finds is looking for them. In the Romeo’s lifeless body and confusion that follows Juliet realises what has accidentally stabs Romeo. happened. In total grief she In grief at the loss of her also takes her own life, soulmate, Juliet takes her using Romeo’s dagger, and own life too. the lifeless bodies of the young lovers lay side by side. The Verona Institute, exact SETTING location not determined Verona, Italy As per the original Verona Beach, USA (fictional) An apartment in Paris (fictional) ERA The not too distant future 16th century As per the original Post-modern day Modern day Romeo (son of Senator and Romeo, son and heir of Lord Mrs Brie Montague) and & Lady Montague. High on ecstasy Romeo falls Juliet – both inmates at The Approximately 16 years of instantly in love with Juliet, Verona Institute. age he finds himself in the midst of two warring whom he has met by chance Juliet and Romeo - husband PRINCIPLE They are segregated by the families, though he is As per the original at a party he’s gate-crashed and wife pair both in their mid- CHARACTERS guards, with love and preoccupied with love rather with his cousin, . It is 40’s and with a marriage in feeling discouraged. This than violence and is an not until later that they crisis. production also features intensely passionate and realise they belong to feuding Tybalt (the Guard), Benvolio, idealistic character. families. Mercutio and Balthasar

(whom are in a Juliet is just 13 years of relationship). The role of age, and the daughter of Paris, as per the original, is Lord & Lady Capulet. She is switched to Frenchie and from an incredibly she is Juliet’s best friend. aristocratic family and up until the point she meets Romeo, has led a very protected existence and is rather naïve – though later shows great strength and maturity. Neither Friar Laurence, nor At the start of the ballet Lord & Lady Capulet appear Romeo is discovered in semi- in this production. darkness at the start of the ballet as Rosaline’s Prince Escalus is rewritten as The character of Rev. anonymous suitor. Rosaline is the police chief of Verona It is Juliet & Romeo’s therapist Bernadette Lawrence is a the niece of Lord Capulet and Beach and called Captain that has suggested they journey new character created for though she is an unseen Prince. The character Friar back in time to key moments in the New Adventure’s character within John does not appear in their relationship to help repair adaptation and is closely Shakespeare’s Romeo and Luhrmann’s adaptation and it. The audience (whom the PLOT TWISTS based on the part of the N/A Juliet, she is an important one some characters change performers address at times – Juliet’s confidante nonetheless. Romeo is deeply families such as Gregory and during the show) have been and supporter. in love with Rosaline at the Sampson who are Montagues invited to observe this latest start of the play and in Romeo + Juliet but were attempt at repairing their In Matthew’s production it dismayed his love for her in Capulets in the original. relationship, as laid-down by is Juliet who takes her own unrequited. He first spots their therapist. Juliet whilst trying to catch a life, in total devastation at glimpse of Rosaline at a Romeo’s death, rather than gathering hosted by the the other way around. Capulet family. INCLUDES ORIGINAL DIALOGUE? No dialogue used N/A No dialogue used Yes In parts New Adventures were given In Shakespeare’s time permission to create a more music would have been Composed in September 1935 Includes ‘Everybody’s Free (To Includes ‘Kissing You’ (Love intimate orchestration of more directly with the by Sergei Prokofiev for Feel Good)’ by Quindon Tarver, Theme from Romeo +Juliet) by MUSIC Sergei Prokofiev’s timeless performance on stage in the orchestra. The first recording ‘Talk Show Host’ by Des’ree (taken from Baz masterpiece, for Matthew sense that characters would of music from the ballet was Radiohead and ‘Lovefool’ by Luhrmann’s 1996 film), ‘The Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet. react to the sounds being made with the Moscow The Cardigans Sound of Silence’ by Simon and

played, as opposed to Philharmponic Orchestra in Garfunkel and ‘Dance of the Terry Davies, Matthew’s having a full musical score 1938. Knights’ by Prokofiev. long-time collaborator and as is commonplace now. Associate Artist of New The choice of instruments Adventures, created a score would have been somewhat for a small chamber limited, but it is thought orchestra of 15 musicians. that Shakespeare’s A re-imagination of tragedies and history plays Prokofiev’s work from the would often use trumpets ground up, Terry created an and drums for ceremonial acoustic sound-world that sounds and certain wind is simple and at times instruments being used to fragile and necessitates for suggest danger or each player to use two or foreboding. three different instruments each. Romeo and Juliet also includes a song as text CLICK HERE to watch within the play: "When Matthew Bourne and Griping Griefs". Conductor, Dan Jackson, talk about the music of Romeo and Juliet Inspired by the legacy of In 1965, MacMillan's Romeo During the ball scene, which New Adventures’ production and Juliet was given its is a huge party thrown by the Whilst the choreography is a premiere at Covent Garden by Capulets each character is set-piece, the dialogue between Lord of the Flies that the two performers (whilst engaged over 8,000 young The Royal Ballet and was an dressed in a fancy-dress men and boys in 2014, immediate success. costume that represents their largely pre-determined) Romeo and Juliet also personality. For example, deviates from performance to incorporates non- Juliet as an angel, Tybalt as a performance, partly depending professional young dancers It has been performed by The devil, and Romeo as a brave on the interactions they have SPECIAL POINTS OF knight. with the audience. INTEREST within its cast. From 1,000 N/A Royal Ballet more than four applications, 80 individuals hundred times since, as well Unlike many theatre – males and females, aged as touring the world, and has There have also been many productions there is no false- 16-19 years - were selected become a true classic of the interesting analyses of wall between the performance to take part, across 13 20th-century ballet repertory. Luhrmann’s decision to insert and the viewers. The audience different venues. racial and sexual differences are a ‘living entity’ within the Additionally, 16 young from Shakespeare’s original show enabling an element of artists made their (for example, Luhrmann improvisation in response to professional debut, joining reimagined Mercutio as an

the 19 members of the openly gay African-American) their contributions to questions current New Adventures to emphasise particular posed by Juliet & Romeo. company within the cast. aspects of the storyline, Six Young Associate Artists including on the Baz also worked alongside the Luhrmann is God WordPress creative team. site. In conversation with “…this piece came from a Matthew Bourne he says: Shakespeare may have MacMillan had been longing long-standing dislike of death “The thing that really made known the story of Romeo to create his own Romeo and and a dawning realisation that me want to do it was the and Juliet in several Juliet after seeing John in my job I was perfectly placed opportunity to work with “With Romeo and Juliet what I versions for some years Cranko’s version for the wanted to do was to look at to re-write this moment that young people. It is a story before he wrote his play. Stuttgart Ballet. the way in which Shakespeare had frustrated me for so long. I about them and young love. Two sources were might make a movie of one of wanted Romeo and Juliet to I got even more excited particularly important for its When the work was still in his plays if he was a director. live, and that was our starting when it was suggested we creation: Arthur Brooke, The gestation, and before Covent How would he make it? We point. Initially it was cast it with young people Tragicall Historye of Romeus Garden had given it the go- don't know a lot about exhilarating, anything was and work with young and Iuliet, written first in ahead, Lynn Seymour was Shakespeare, but we do know possible, where would they go, creative associates in all Italian by Bandell (1562) invited to appear on CBC he would make a 'movie' how would they live? We were the different departments of and , television in her native movie. He was a player. We overwhelmed with the the show alongside my and Criseyde, in The Canada. She asked know about the Elizabethan possibilities. usual world-class team. It Workes of Geffrey Christopher Gable to join her is all about nurturing them stage and that he was playing INSPIRATIONS & Chaucer (1561) on the programme and for 3000 drunken punters, And then gradually things got and telling the story. MacMillan offered to create a INFLUENCES from the street sweeper to the harder. The problem with Some sources a tale based pas de deux from his Queen of England - and his cheating death is that then you One thing I have tried to on the real-life events of envisaged production. bring out is that when competition was bear-baiting have to carry on living. two lovers who tragically and prostitution. So, he was a According to the experts the young people first fall in died for each other love and feel that passion, In her biography, Lynn relentless entertainer and a chemical cocktail that we in Verona, Italy at the start user of incredible devices and they really go overboard in th Seymour recalls: “In rehearsal experience as romantic love of the 14 century, as Kenneth created a pas de theatrical tricks to ultimately only lasts for 3 years. During many ways. I often think having influenced about how classical ballet deux which serves as the create something of meaning those three years there is a Shakespeare. However, fulcrum for his work. and convey a story. That was gradual fall from the ideal to handles this and how the there is no official record of young girl gets very excited Christopher and I – both in what we wanted to do.” the real. And Romeo and Juliet such an event occurring. fine fettle – responded to Interview with Baz Luhrmann had a particularly long way to by a kiss on the cheek. in Signet, 19 December 1996 Young people today, if they what Kenneth wanted as if we fall. I was interested in this are into each other, are three were under a potent second part of their kissing until their mouths spell. Like a man possessed, relationship, the bit after are sore. I have tried to Kenneth completed the romantic love that was capture that intensity. intrinsically less dramatic,

balcony pas-de-deux in three more mundane and more It is also set a little way into rehearsals”. repetitive.” the future, but it is not Extract from a Lost Dog blog futuristic. It is a time when The commission for CBC post - originally written as society is frowning on young meant that a key part of the programme notes for Juliet & people having an excess of eventual ballet’s architecture Romeo at the Royal Opera feeling and emotion which was already in place. House Linbury Theatre, 2019. sends them off on the wrong tracks as far as society is Quoted in an article in The concerned. I got the idea Guardian by Sanjoy Roy, on 15 from Arthur Laurents, the January 2010, MacMillan is co-creator of West Side credited as having spoken Story, who was asked why generally about his works by the young people in it are saying: “What I wanted to put violent and act the way they on stage had to have more do? He said they have too reality than much of what I much feeling and they need was seeing in the 1940s and to find a way to release it. I 50s … Little of what I was thought that was an seeing then had any contact interesting way into the with a real world of feeling story and very true. It made and human behaviour. Ballet me go in the direction I went looked like window-dressing. I in.” wanted to make ballets in which an audience would become caught up with the fate of the characters I showed them."