Romeo and Juliet, Festival Theatre Edinburgh Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Lynsey
Mathew Bourne has once again done a fantastic job of adapting a classic tale. The young, first love story that will be familiar with most has been reimagined into this gritty, tale of the times ballet. With some clear parallels with the original story still apparent the adaption has been stripped back and focusses on a group of young people who appear to be incarcerated in Verona Institute. What exactly the facility is has been left open to interpretation but the day to day running of it is undertaken by Guards who abuse their position and a kind Chaplain who has little control. In the main the group are segregated by gender, but as the much loved story goes – Romeo and Juliet meet, fall in love, find ways to be together but don’t live happily ever after.
The production is powerful and raw. The story line at points can be difficult to watch as the dance and music addresses incredibly well some of the hard issues facing our society today like mental health and abuse. You get a real sense of the hardship of these young people’s lives with the dramatic and dark sequence, but equally feel the contrast of the frenzied and frantic acts with some wonderfully light moments and comedy throughout.
The duets between Romeo and Juliet are intimate and passionate and the death scene is realistic and dramatic. You can’t take your eyes of the pair. The choreography throughout is magnificent. It provides scenes that are incredibly intense but others that are uplifting and each of the dancers perform these beautifully. The music by Prokofiev is familiar but rearranged which brings something different to the dances. It is powerful and intimate and really brings the story to life.
The set design is simple and clinical – really giving a sense of incarceration. It also provides a great platform for many of the acts and dances. The costumes are also simple and stripped backed which complements the intense story well.
The Festival Theatre provides the perfect location for a modern ballet. It is a well maintained, clean, modern and very spacious theatre with a few bars to choose from which would provide a nice space to socialise before and during the interval of the show. It also has a café on the ground floor where you can grab a coffee and a small bite to eat beforehand. Being in the city centre it also has an array of bars and restaurants around it for pre and post show drinks and food. It is easily accessible by public transport and is surrounded by on street parking however spaces close by can at times be difficult to find. There is also plenty of friendly staff on hand to help.
I loved everything about this progressive production. The adaption works really well. Both the music and dancing were breath-taking bringing a gritty emotional story to life. It is a must see for ballet fans. I would absolutely recommend to friends and family. I give this production a 5 out of 5.
https://www.capitaltheatres.com/whats-on/all-shows/matthew-bournes-romeo-juliet/2160
Tickets from £28.50
Rating: 5/5