Romeo + Juliet (Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, AD - PR Invite)

 🌟 Romeo + Juliet 🌟

12 September 2023 at 7:30pm at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford

★★★★

Matthew Bourne's New Adventures presents a revival of their critically acclaimed Romeo + Juliet, a contemporary, passionate and gritty take on the Shakespearian tale of forbidden love. This becomes the first time I have seen a performance told wholly through the medium of dance, and this show surpassed my expectations of what a movement piece can be, and how much can be crafted from classical scores. I haven't encountered any productions of Romeo and Juliet before, with this adaptation feeling incredibly fresh, and modern societal themes present. The well-known tragedies of the story have been altered, which is a surprise for audiences to deliver more heartfelt and surprising moments.

The setting largely stays within Verona Institute, a deliberately vague establishment of incarceration and control against young people. We are introduced to Juliet (Monique Jonas) within the Institute, where she (among others) is mercilessly mistreated by the operating prison guards, a step out of line potentially fatal. The wealthy Montague's are worlds apart from this misfortune, and Romeo (Rory Macleod) is soon inducted into this controlled atmosphere. The idea of segregation and 'fitting in' is so clearly reflected through movement. Particularly for the first act, the story follows less the typical Romeo And Juliet, but rather a united front of Verona's young people against their oppressors.

Matthew Bourne's form of storytelling (through his choreography and direction) is enthralling, and arguably more powerful than the use of spoken word. The precision and attention to detail is immaculate with every scene. Interestingly, this show differs from other New Adventures productions, with more viscerally intense imagery, the power it holds is crucial to a changing society. As the styling features a more modern approach, elements including knife crime and authoritarian rule are frustratingly relevant to international issues today. 

Bourne's choreography is absolutely pin perfect, where movement is sharp and unison for regimented sequences, earthy and grounded for stylised aggression, and beautifully intimate where it needs to be. Dance compliments Prokofiev's compositions flawlessly, where the score feels revolutionised and modern. I particularly enjoy how movement both marries and goes against the music in acts of rebellion, using pace and body percussions to enhance this further.

Leading as Juliet, Monique Jonas holds such impassioned body language, and performs the tragic with great honesty. Jonas' solo dances are beautifully investing, most memorably in Act 2 to represent her grief, she performs with a punchy vigour where the body cannot go any further, expression leading the context of the performance, and allowing emotional relief to be felt and understood. Jonas' duets alongside Rory Macleod's Romeo finds the order amongst the chaos, with body and eye contact building the grounds of their relationship with intimacy. Macleod has some very enthusiastic moments, a joy to watch, and also endeavours heartbreak expertly, exploring a more fragile essence of masculinity which is a privilege to see on stage.

Performing the role of Tybalt, Danny Reubens is tyrannically unlikeable, a sign he has executed the role brilliantly! His guttural shrieks send shivers across your body, and the way that his movement is designed to dominate and control would make anymore scared of his police inspired role. Lez Brotherston's costume work is simplistic though creates a clear barrier between the stereotypical 'good and bad'. Romeo and Juliet are often featured in white, an essence of purity whereas Reubens' Tybalt wears an all black outfit as he reaches his demise, filled with corruption.

I also wanted to give a mention to Ben Brown's portrayal of Mercutio, as Brown is an utterly magnetic performer. With every scene he features in, I found myself glued to every one of his segments, as his cheeky chappy persona allows for a wonderful comedy within the tragic tale. Truly infectious joy, which as you can hear from laughter, translates perfectly to audiences. The whole ensemble have the choreography and expression defined to sublimity, and wider group numbers are utterly mesmerising to get lost in!

The only reason I have given Romeo + Juliet 4* is from my view of this adaptation. The modernised and autocratic style is really impactful, though the vagueness of setting makes it difficult at times to feel engaged within the plot. The themes of the piece are extremely clear, and character relationships are understandable instantaneously, though the lack of context regarding Verona Institute left me struggling to feel fully immersed. However, the vision is brutalist and Brotherston's set is explored to its full extent.

A huge thank you to Bradford Theatres for inviting me to Matthew Bourne's New Adventures' revival of Romeo + Juliet, as well as a really interesting Q&A session with some of the cast to round the evening off. For anyone, like myself, who hadn't previously seen a dance production, I couldn't encourage this show more. It really opened my eyes to the world of stylistic storytelling, and how classic compositions and stories can be altered to benefit modern audiences, and carry important messages of life. 

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