Touring – reviewed at The Lowry, Salford
Reviewer: Rachael Hankinson
A beautiful reinterpretation of the Shakespearean classic, Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet at The Lowry modernises the tale of doomed love for a new audience.
Predominantly centring around the theme of mental health, the piece also features themes of sexual violence and the trauma and persecution of youth. Bourne’s reinterpretation of Romeo & Juliet tells a fully engaging story that puts the young inmates of the Verona Institute against the tyrannical staff, whilst still featuring the key aspects of Shakespeare’s story, such as the iconic balcony scene that is still ingeniously included and beautifully portrayed by Paris Fitzpatrick (Romeo) and Cordelia Braithwaite (Juliet) – whose performances where both outstanding from start to finish.
Other notable performances are those of Reece Causton (Mercutio) and Jackson Fisch (Balthasar) who not only portray the characters well but also explore a new and interesting side to the characters.
Due to Bourne’s wonderful direction and beautiful choreography, the production is extremely easy to understand. Which is impressive considering that the whole production contains no dialogue and relies on the cast to tell the story and convey the emotions purely through movement and facial expression, which is achieved due to an extremely talented and resilient cast of young performers.
This production boasts the stunning set design and costumes of Lez Brotherston – with the set design bringing the institute to life and giving it an imposing atmosphere; the costumes beautifully supported the gracefulness of the performers’ movements while also indicating who the members of the cast were portraying.
Romeo and Juliet is beautifully accompanied by the stunning musical score of Sergei Prokofiev, who expertly blends classical music with aspects of Edvard Grieg and hints of Leonard Bernstein to create a wonderfully expressive and emotional dynamic within the production.
Capturing the essence of the original story, and receiving a standing ovation from the audience, Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet is an enjoyable, interesting take on the age-old story with some innovative twists along the way. Unmissable.
-Rachael Hankinson
Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet runs at The Lowry until Saturday 15 June 2019.
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