Scottish Ballet's Romeo and Juliet @ The King's Theatre

Review by Eric Karoulla | 07 May 2014

With music by Sergei Prokofiev and choreography by Krzysztof Pastor, Scottish Ballet resurrect their Romeo and Juliet for another tour of the UK. Without dialogue to rely on – especially the Shakespearean monologues and wordplay – Romeo and Juliet instantly becomes a much more difficult story to convey. This performance reflects the thought that is invested in the costumes, dancing, and acting so as to express the timeless star-crossed lovers' tale. 

The scenography at the start of each act seems shaky at best, however the dancing makes much more of a positive impression. Erik Cavallari brings a playful Romeo to the stage, while Sophie Martin's Juliet is obviously attracted to him. They convey quite well – through dance and a dash of acting – the lovers who are utterly obsessed with each other, who see no one else in the room, to the point that they will die for one another. Even so, the show is stolen by the intense presence of Owen Throne as Capulet, and the energy of Victor Zarallo as Mercutio. Meanwhile, the company seem to have improved in the parts that involve dancing and acting at the same time, which seemed slightly shaky in past productions. 

Furthermore, the choreography of Mercutio and Tybalt's (Christopher Harrison) fight and subsequent death uses the symmetry operated by West Side Story, with the two bodies laying on their respective side and mourned individually. Story-wise, it is interesting to see that the character of the Prince is non-existent, replaced by the peace-loving Friar Lawrence (Lewis Landini), which seems to give him a motive for uniting Romeo and Juliet in marriage. [Eric Karoulla]

 

 

 

On tour throughout Scotland, 19-24 May. Check listings for venue information, prices and times http://scottishballet.co.uk/romeo-juliet/glasgow.html