Never was a story of more woe told quite so often as that of Juliet and her Romeo. Shakespeare’s tragedy comes back to stage again and again, especially in ballet, but that’s because it has so many emotional flashpoints that can make theatrical magic: the moment the teen lovers’ eyes first meet, the balcony duet, Juliet’s potion-drinking, the denouement in the crypt.
Northern Ballet’s production has come back to life itself, after Lez Brotherston’s sets and costumes were destroyed by floods. It was devised in 1991 by Christopher Gable with Italian choreographer Massimo Moricone, who provides lyrical, lilting pas de deux for the lovers and hard-edged formations for the Capulets. Juliet’s clan are very much painted as the baddies in this production, with cold hearts and studded black leather. The famous Dance of the Knights at the ball is less welcoming party, more a warning.
