English Touring Opera’s The Capulets and the Montagues at Sheffield Lyceum, Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Joy Wright

English Touring Opera’s latest production of Bellini’s The Capulets and the Montagues offers an intriguing reinterpretation of the classic tale at Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre this weekend. Director Eloise Lally creatively transposes the narrative to mid-20th century New York, setting the drama within the world of rival mafioso families.

The staging transforms the theatre into “Capellio’s,” an Italian café serving as the Capulet stronghold. This creative choice provides an ideal backdrop for the unfolding tragedy, capturing the story’s inherent tension with a 20th century realism. Lorenzo is the café manager who replaces the priest and the nurse. He is the confidante, the mechanic and a friend to all.

The international operatic cast delivers exceptional performances throughout. Jessica Cale brings remarkable vocal and emotional precision to Giulietta, now a waitress in the café, reluctantly promised by her father, Capellio, to Tebaldo. She is pawn in a wider feudal game of power.

Romeo is a “breeches role” an operatic device where some male roles are performed by females, a harkening back to the past, but which allows for a vocal casting to suit the opera, the director or a creative choice. Here Romeo is Signor and suited and booted.

Samantha Price’s Romeo resonates with emotional depth, her mezzo-soprano conveying the characters beseechment of Giulietta to escape and to evade marriage to Tebaldo.

The pairs voices blend seamlessly to express their characters’ forbidden love.

Lally’s direction includes several captivating moments, notably a stylised slow-motion sequence during a gang confrontation which conveys the battle without explicit violence. The Montague’s seem a little less of a threat than the Capellio’s, the battle uneven and the outcomes less convincing than perhaps we are accustomed to. Less than what we might expect perhaps.

However, combined with Lily Arnold’s evocative set designs, these choices create striking visual tableaus that effectively communicate the opera’s central themes.

The orchestra under Alphonse Cemin performs admirably, the score soaring at times, delicate at others, weaving tones of emotion in through the performance. The musicians complement the vocalists beautifully and we can, at all times hear the voices of the cast.

This isn’t Romeo and Juliet as Shakespeare wrote it, this is Bellini’s vision, through the lens of a new director in the 21st century, and then through the lens of 20th century Italian-American culture. It has a life of its own and an end which challenges the norm. Might Giulietta escape the fate created for her by men?

The final scenes bring all the visual and vocal drama we might expect. The heart rending moments in the family crypt, candlelit and atmospheric, are beautiful and pleasing in theatrical impact. The colours are striking and the set, performers, lighting and costume come together to create something impressive.
This thoughtful reimagining of Bellini’s work succeeds in engaging both opera aficionados and newcomers alike.

Rating: 5/5

Tickets range from £15-£45 and can be purchased through the Lyceum’s website, www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk or by calling the box office on 0114 249 6000.

English Touring Opera’s The Capulets & The Montagues is on tour from 1 March to 26 April 2025 – for more information, tour dates and venues, visit englishtouringopera.org.uk