Romeo & Juliet – English National Ballet (Tour – Manchester)

Verona is infected by plague and civil unrest but the pure love of Romeo (Vadim Muntagirov) for Juliet (Daria Klimentova) might unite two warring families. There are many surprises in Rudolf Nureyev’s version of the ballet, as  Mercutio (Yat-Sen Chang) is not the eternal bachelor but a loyal friend motivated by the urge to help Romeo. Tybalt (a superbly arrogant Fabian Reimair) plays childish games with his cousin.

Even Prokofiev’s magnificent score gets tweaked and visually the mighty march opens as a duet and features Cossack-style dance moves. 

The opaque motives of the characters are clarified in the tortured and twisted dance moves that reveal their loathing or lust. The Capulets innocently enjoy a clog dance while the Montague’s glower in the background, shoplifting and looking for trouble.

Juliet is a disturbed teen too quickly moved from childhood to womanhood. In a troubling scene she is shown being deflowered by Death. Muntagirov represents the hope for change. In the wake of a funeral his light –hearted dancing shows an innocent youth full of the joy of life rather than the hard living rake we might expect.

This is a vivid, atmospheric and powerful production which makes Verona looks like Gotham City
 
– Dave Cunningham