Matthew Bourne’s Incredible Reincarnation Of Romeo and Juliet At The Curve Theatre, Leicester Review

Reviewed by H Whetton

Matthew’s interpretation of Romeo and Juliet truly brings forward the modernisation of classic literature but done so in a tasteful way.

This interpretation is based within the walls of a mental health institution in modern day society and focuses on the love shared between two people who have fallen in love through their shared experiences and yet are banned lovers through circumstance.

Throughout the ballet, the dancers were wearing very little clothing which was a good visualisation of the vulnerability being portrayed of the characters. Romeo and Juliet stayed very close the entire time; however, you could feel the distance and raw emotion between them. The story we all know of Romeo and Juliet was followed as more of a guidance rather than by the book but this did make the experience a whole lot better for me due to not enjoying the story during my exam seasons at school. I do feel if this version had had been something to learn from then this would have made me a lot more attentive to my lessons. I especially enjoyed the underlying issue presented as being mental health illnesses between the characters, and how much gender inclusivity and differences were being portrayed.

The storyline of this followed two people within a hospital setting who could not get out due to their circumstances. It followed their mental health journeys and want for something more than what the four walls of an institute can offer them. It made an exceptional point at how lucky we are to be free to make our own decisions and have control over our lives when this can easily be taken away from us at any moment. It also shows how delicate the balance of life is and how one person can be everything you believe you need to fix all your problems.

During the darker moments the use of pathetic fallacy through the lighting changes and the incredible composition definitely changed the atmosphere. It felt very personal in moments as though you were watching people you knew and I find this is often a very rare skill to put into place during a performance, so Bourne should be commended for his hard work and intellectual insight into such a story.

The composition is something that alone should be reflected on. Whilst I do believe this is a ballet you could comfortably watch in pure silence and still feel all the emotion, the way the composition was written and the delicate timings of where the music should be placed completely transported you into a whole different setting and brought out the raw emotion of many of the audience watching.

I would highly recommend for anyone to watch this, Shakespeare fan or not. My favourite part was near the end where Juliet has what is portrayed to be a nightmare and ultimately brings Romeo to his unfortunate demise. The way this was done drew out all emotion I had left in me and was truly a beautiful and heart-breaking end to such a wonderful story of star crossed and forbidden lovers.

It is recommended a 14+ and I would stick to this guidance and take note of the trigger warnings before going to see this.

Matthew Bourne ‘s Romeo and Juliet, running from Monday 3rd July until Saturday 8th July.

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet – Curve Theatre, Leicester (curveonline.co.uk)

Rating: 5/5.
Ticket prices vary from £53.50- £10.00.
The Curve theatre,60 Rutland Street, Leicester,LE11UT.
Box Office 01162423560