DanceReviewScotland

Romeo & Juliet – Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh

Reviewer: Jo Ross-Barrett

Music: Sergei Prokofiev

Writer: William Shakespeare

Choreographer: Sergei Bobrov

Artistic Director: Daniela Dimova

Conductor: Peter Tuleshkov

Varna International Ballet’s performance of Romeo and Juliet is compelling from start to finish. The harsh opening notes introduce a tableau of an intense swordfight that sets the tone for this tale of strife, elegantly taking the place of the play’s traditional spoken prologue.

Things become more light-hearted as the audience is introduced to Romeo and the townsfolk of fair Verona, where we lay our scene with a simple but effective projection on the back wall. The Montagues and Capulets dance across the stage in blue and red versions of otherwise identical clothes – a design decision which struck this reviewer as a sartorial commentary about how readily people can overlook all that they have in common with an ‘us versus them’ mindset.

Tensions escalate when a stylised ballet fight scene breaks out (in a way that’s somewhat reminiscent of West Side Story) as the combatants aggressively dance through their transition from fistfights to swordfighting. The men break into a stomping, jumping warlike formation and are cheered on by female onlookers – only pausing briefly to feign peace when the Prince demands it, then snatching their weapons back up as soon as his back is turned. There are lots of comedic touches like this running throughout the show, especially from the Nurse and Mercutio, and it does a lot to breathe new life into the scenes of a plot that will be familiar to many.

Speaking of Mercutio, his playful performance is a consistent delight in every scene that he appears in. The dancer is equally bursting with physical comedy in his friendly ribbing of Romeo’s romantic dreams and his taunts during the charged swordfight with Tybalt, leaning into the homoeroticism of each in a way that’s very refreshing for an art form that often struggles to move past the conventions of heteronormativity. The serious and proud Tybalt makes an excellent foil to him – each encounter between them only sparks a deeper enmity, creating a dark echo of Romeo and Juliet’s growing romance. Lady Capulet (who in this ballet is having an affair with Tybalt) matches his intensity beautifully and the dancer elevates her character through her expressive movements, especially in her grief following her lover’s death.

Juliet’s performance skilfully shifts over the course of the show, smoothly segueing from a mischievous streak in her interactions with her Nurse and parents to a blossoming attraction to Romeo that becomes more flirtatious and passionate as she gains confidence. Of course, from there things take a turn for the worse and her growing distress is perfectly reflected in her ever more disturbing movements as the story moves towards its inevitable tragic ending.

Romeo is an excellent partner to Juliet in their romantic pas de deux, but if this show has one weakness it’s that his solos can feel a touch overdramatic in places. Responsibility for this likely lies with Shakespeare, as the teenage character can be quite melodramatic from the moment he’s introduced – it seems like a challenging role to choreograph or dance without occasionally veering into the maudlin.

The ensemble dancers are used to great effect throughout the show. They effortlessly shift from stately to sensual as the nobles at the Capulet party unwind after a few drinks, helped along by the ballerinas’ quick-change from stiff dresses to leotards, but undoubtedly the highlight is their performance as Death Heralds in the second act. These eerie figures appear to foreshadow characters’ deaths, growing in number as the action moves towards its tragic finale until over twenty of them fill the stage with their ominous presence. Their unsettling performance creates a sense of spectacle that is unique to the ballet version of this classic tale – it’s well worth seeing if you get the chance.

While Romeo & Juliet was only on for one night in Edinburgh, Varna International Ballet is returning to the Edinburgh Playhouse stage to perform Swan Lake at 7.30pm on 17 January and The Nutcracker at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on 18 January. They will then continue their 2025 season by touring these three shows across Basingstoke, Ipswich, Southend, Brighton, Nottingham, Reading, Oxford, Darlington, Wimbledon, Norwich, Hull, Sheffield, Leicester and Northampton.

Reviewed on 16 January 2025 | Image: Contributed

The Reviews Hub Score

Beautiful romantic tragedy

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The Reviews Hub - Scotland

The Scotland team is under the editorship of Lauren Humphreys. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. We aim to review all professional types of theatre, whether that be Commercial, Repertory or Fringe as well as Comedy, Music, Gigs etc.

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