REVIEW - English National Ballet's Romeo & Juliet is inspiring, moving, gripping, and full of strength

We were invited to see English National Ballet's Romeo & Juliet at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about this excellent production...


There’s a reason Romeo & Juliet is still hailed as one of the greatest love stories ever told.  It’s a tale of fizzing attraction and all‑consuming passion creating an intoxicating tension of wanting what has been forbidden to us, making us want it even more.  And instead of the happy ending that would have delighted, we are sucker punched to the heart with the worst imaginable set of consequences that leave you reeling with heartache yet still manage to produce a glimmer of hope.  The English National Ballet are celebrating their 50^th anniversary of Rudolf Nureyev’s 1977 production with a revival that feels fresh, new, alive, and reinvigorated.  Created nearly fifty years ago for Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee, Nureyev’s version remains impassioned and gloriously bold.  This is the ballet that almost had Juliet danced by a boy, that flirted with medieval music before realising that it might send audiences to sleep, and that rehearsed its final death scene pretty much during the performance!  It’s a production born from late‑night sessions at the Donmar, spontaneous tweaks mid‑run, and the unstoppable energy of Nureyev himself, who danced every single performance because he hadn’t had time to rehearse anyone else. 

It feels like I have always known the story of Romeo & Juliet, but for those who don’t, here’s a quick catch up.  Manchester may be split down the middle by its football teams, but Verona is split by its long‑running feud of the Montagues and Capulets.  Romeo is a Montague harbouring a crush for Rosaline, whilst Juliet, a Capulet, is being introduced to future husband Paris.  But as Shakespeare himself said, the course of true love never did run smooth, and there in lies our story.  Romeo sneaks into the Capulets masked ball with his friends, and as he meets Juliet for the first time, love at first sight explodes, writing their destiny and fate.  For a Montague and Capulet could never be together, right?  As Romeo declares his love to Juliet, she makes plans for them to marry in secret.  But tensions are too high for them to enjoy wedded bliss and a lethal fight breaks out.  Juliets cousin, Tybalt, kills Romeo’s best friend, Mercutio, and in a blaze of fury and grief, Romeo retaliates and kills Tybalt.  As Romeo is banished from the city, the star-crossed lovers need a plan and so Juliet turns to Friar Lawrence.  But his plan of a potion to mimic death so they can escape, backfires.  Romeo doesn’t get word of the plan and so truly believes Juliet is dead.  Unable to live without her, he takes his own life.  But of course, Juliet wasn’t dead, so when she wakes to find Romeo lifeless beside her, the cycle starts again.  Will their deaths be enough to end the long, historic feud between Montagues and Capulets?    
  

Prokofiev’s score is played live by the English National Ballet Philharmonic, creating its own kind of magic, and filling the theatre with a rich, thundering experience to physically feel as well as listen to.  It makes the entire evening captivating, exhilarating and enhances the production with world class musicians working in harmony with world class dancers.  It is art at its finest.  Nureyev’s Romeo & Juliet hurls us head‑first into a Verona that feels socially explosive.  It is a city to be survived, with life in all its messy glory clashing against each other, from the beggars to the gangs, the filth and the fighting.  This isn’t an idyllic Italian place to fall in love with romantic notions of long summer days, but a place where the innocence of youth can’t outmanoeuvre the political chaos.  Love is examined through a lens of reality.  It is rewarding yes, but it’s also hard work, often under impossible circumstances.  These characters are alive with purpose, survival, and lit with a new kind of fire that I haven’t seen in any previous version of Romeo & Juliet, and whilst this take may not match everyone’s expectations, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

With set and costume design by Ezio Frigerio and Franca Squarciapino, the contrasts within this production speak loudly about socialist issues within a city, such as the opulence of the Capulet ballroom piqued against the weathered public piazzas.  Overbearing dark columns dominate creating a city that crackles with danger.  The poor desperately fight poverty, whilst the wealthy have time for pointless feuds and arranged marriages.  Status is examined through movement, powerful and arrogant swords against raw and visceral fists.  The costumes are stunning and move so elegantly with the dancers.  They are even utilised within the choreography for impact and on some occasions, humour.  The two households are separated into rich reds and greens making them easily identifiable, with prominent characters distinguished further within their groups.  There are brilliant touches throughout and I especially was drawn by the addition of the red glitter wound detail on both Mercutio and Tybalt when they come back on as a manifesto in Juliet’s mind.

Rentaro Nakaaki and Julia Conway are the star-crossed lovers Romeo & Juliet and truly work together in blissful harmony. Nakaaki is so light on his feet, with jumps that reach the sky and fly through the air. He has an instinctual believability as a young man in love, and when coupled with Conway, the chemistry is instantaneous. Conway is effortlessly youthful and brings a beautiful naivety to the role.  She expresses with her face as much as her body as we see her journey from love to confusion, passion to duty, heartache to desolation. Fabian Reimair is the fiery Tybalt.  He has an authority and aggressive presence whenever he enters the stage, ensuring you pay attention. He builds character with tension and delivers a brilliant fight scene with Noam Durand as our cheeky, charming Mercutio.  They spar with each other with equal pizazz and danger. Durand portrays the confidence of Mercutio, bringing humour through quirky movements, timed with an effective delight.  He does an incredible job during the Queen Nab solo, fuelling it with cheeky humour and pushing boundaries, yet getting away with it because of his charm. When he partners with Nakaaki I have to say this is my favourite movement.  The backwards leaps of faith, the elegance yet power is phenomenal. Rodrigo Pinto is the peaceful Benvolio, displaying his nature through gliding and effortless moves, weaving in and out of the two houses with ease, lightness and comfort. The entire company are world class, mesmerising with their agility, strength, storytelling and how effortless they make everything look. The staging switches from busy to spotlight, ensuring the whole company make their mark on the audience.

The choreography by Nureyev has more than stood the test of time in this English National Ballet revival.  It is intricate and fancy, yet with a heavy focus on the storytelling reaching equal status as the technique.  It doesn’t paint love as weak and willowy, but full of strength and stamina.  It is character driven, emotionally charged and tangible, ripping the pages out of Shakespeare’s book and throwing them in your face!  This production of Romeo & Juliet was an incredible display of just how alive dance can be.  It was powerful, inspiring, moving, gripping, and full of strength.  It was quite an experience to behold and a great show for both existing lovers of dance and those newbies. A familiar story told with the most phenomenal of performers who invite you to fall in love, not with Romeo or Juliet, but with ballet.

WE SCORE ENB'S ROMEO & JULIET...

⭐⭐⭐⭐

English National Ballet's Romeo and Juliet is on at the Palace Theatre, Manchester until Sunday 25th October 2026.


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