Review: Matthew Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sensual, passionate and always subversive, Matthew Bourne’s sterling reworking of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is breathtaking in its boldness and spectacular in its delivery.
Relocated from an Italy long past, the action plays out in the Verona Institute, an timeless asylum populated by inmates with no love lost on those who keep them subdued.
Confined against their will, Bourne’s young lovers must follow their hearts as they rail against a regime intent on keeping them apart. It’s a power game with high stakes.
In the title roles at this performance are Monique Jonas and Rory MacLeod, dancing his first principal role in his hometown.
Throughout their voyage of self discovery and secret liaisons, this Romeo and Juliet are joyous to watch, a couple intoxicated by each other while swept up in the all-encompassing confusions of first love. Together they are entrancing.
For MacLeod, who debuted with Bourne’s New Adventures company as the Pink Gobstopper in The Nutcracker just over 18 months ago, the role is a magnificent recognition of his talent and potential.
Danced to the music of Prokofiev, from the bombastic sweep of the Dance of the Knights, best known now as the theme of The Apprentice, through to Romeo and Juliet’s emotionally charged ‘Cell duet’ in the final act, Terry Davies’ new arrangement of the well-loved score boasts a threat-laced finesse that still manages to retain a place for occasional humour.
Les Brotherston’s fixed set is a cleverly contrived construct of multi-levelled entrances and exits that insists a frenetic flow of bodies on, off and around the stage is constant.
And what an ensemble this cast prove to be. The characters may be familiar, Tybalt, Mercutio, Balthasar, Benvolio and more are present, but you have never seen them like this.
The individuality of each performance, the attention to detail in every movement and expression creates a corps of unique, often quirky, personas that never slip. Each has their own story to tell and tell it they shall.
There are stand-outs too. Daisy May Kemp is fleet and flawless. The humanity of her Rev Bernadette Laurence positively radiates in stark contract to the cold disconnect of her Mrs Montague.
As Tybalt, Cameron Flynn dances a dominant, mean and powerfully commanding turn.
Bringing the production full circle, the bloody immediacy and brutality of the final act sees this spell-binding celebration of predominantly young talent reach its devastating climax.
This is dance theatre at its most inspiring. Get lost in its magic.
Runs ends Saturday 23 September, then on tour, further dates here: https://new-adventures.net/romeo-juliet#overview
Credit: Líam Rudden’s Must See Theatre