Matthew Bourne has done it again in this powerful, bleak, rather shattering radical reworking of ROMEO AND JULIET.
The basic narrative of Shakespeare’s play has been kept, but changed, adapted and twisted .Bourne seeks to convey the overwhelming enormity of young love and succeeds triumphantly. It is full of youthful energy and vibrant urgency and the dancing is magnificent. Included among the cast of New Adventures members are some dancers still in training.
In Bourne’s reimagining the setting is the cold, grey, intimidating psychiatric Verona Institute – basically a double level white semicircle with three doors, framed by staircases and a balcony, all enclosed by gates of metal fencing and foreboding white tiled walls (designs by Lez Brotherston) complemented by spectacular atmospheric lighting by Paule Constable.
Prokofiev’s score is integral but Terry Davies has amended , abridged and reworked it extremely effectively. We see youth struggling against the rigidly imposed system , controlled by distant parents and callous guards.
The inmates are restrained by punishment and drugs, their tightly meshed movement emphasising their loss of power. The formal dance becomes far more risqué once the watchful staff have departed and there is animated discussion the morning after. Act two features a svelte, ingenious solo for Jackson Fisch (Balthasar , Mercutio’s anguished, lamenting partner).
Bourne’s extremely demanding, athletic choreography is astonishing. If you are familiar with his previous works you can pick tiny choreographic snippets from, for example his ‘Nutcracker’, ‘Swan Lake’ and ‘Highland Fling’ . But there are also many other fresh inspirations.
A lot of the time for the inmates is regimented and controlled , but with sudden explosive breakouts. Sometimes the inmates are a coordinated mass, at other times they have their own individual small set pieces of choreography, nervous and twitchy. At other times there are wild frenzied solos.There is a lot of floorwork which is contrasted with flying leaps and turns and high lifts . And yes, as others of my colleagues have observed , towards the unexpected ending there are possible references to the MacMiIllan version of the ballet.
Our Romeo and Juliet are outstanding. Our Romeo Paris Fitzpatrick was superb – we first see him as a very fidgety son who has become an embarrassment to his parents , who want to make him appear invisible. At first he is scared and guileless but is befriended by Mercutio, Benvolio and Balthasar.
Our red haired vulnerable Juliet Cordelia Braithwaite was dazzling . She tries to escape the abuse and rape by Tybalt (offstage) but can’t and the nurses pretend not to see what is happening . Her nightmarish mad scene is gut-wrenching, with a tragic unexpected twist.
The moment when Romeo and Juliet’s eyes first meet, and then the ‘balcony’ pas de deux with the long, acrobatic extended kiss were sensational.
Dan Wright as Tybalt was dark, tattooed, looming, vicious and menacing.
Daisy May Kemp was splendid both as an oh so posh elegant but cold Brie Montague ( Romeo’s mother ) and her main role as the compassionate yet rather ditzy Rev Bernadette Laurence .
This was an extraordinary version well worth repeated viewing .
Matthew Bourne’s ROMEO AND JULIET screens at selected cinemas from 22 February 2020.
Running time, 90 minutes without interval.
http://www.sharmillfilms.com.au/allfilms/2019/12/10/matthew-bournes-romeo-and-juliet-22-feb