Matthew Bourne's contemporary re-imagining of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is set in the not-too-distant future in ‘The Verona Institute'. ‘Difficult' young people are mysteriously confined by a society that seeks to divide and crush their youthful spirit and individuality. The two young lovers follow their hearts and risk everything to be together.
The production – ‘One of Bourne's smartest, sexiest, most stirring shows ever' said The Telegraph – was filmed live at Sadler's Wells in London for cinemas with Cordelia Braithwaite as Juliet, Paris Fitzpatrick as Romeo, Dan Wright as Tybalt and Ben Brown as Mercutio.
‘Paris Fitzpatrick is a wonderful Romeo, tender-hearted and heartbreakingly out of his depth. Cordelia Braithwaite is a beautiful and doomed Juliet, a young woman who moves with a fleet grace and a sense of unhinged desperation.' – ★★★★ The Times
The world premiere was on 13 May at Curve, Leicester. Romeo and Juliet has two touring casts – ‘The Capulets' and ‘The Montagues' – and the show is currently enjoying a run at Sadler's Wells until the end of August. The casts perform at different venues, with each company rehearsing with the venue's 6-member ‘Young Cast' – dancers currently in training aged between 16 and 19. When the search for a ‘Young Cast' for each venue was announced, over 1000 young dancers applied to audition.
Bourne says,
I'm thrilled that New Adventures' brand-new production of Romeo and Juliet will be in cinemas. We have been overwhelmed by the fantastic response to the work during our tour and felt we couldn't miss this opportunity to share it with as many people as possible across the UK and around the world.
This timeless story of forbidden love, repressed emotions and teenage discovery is no better told than by the young, and I have been refreshed and inspired by what this team of young dancers and artists have brought to Shakespeare's classic tale of tragic conflict and young love.
Romeo and Juliet will be screened in cinemas across the UK and Ireland from Tuesday 22 October. It has a running time of 93 minutes. The show has its own internet site with booking possibilities and a ‘nearest cinema finder': RomeoAndJulietInCinemas.com
Bourne once more teams up with designer Lez Brotherston, with lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Paul Groothuis and new orchestrations of the Prokofiev score by Terry Davies, which is played live by the New Adventures Orchestra conducted by Brett Morris.
Cinema Cast
Romeo – Paris Fitzpatrick
Juliet – Cordelia Braithwaite
Tybalt – Dan Wright
Mercutio – Ben Brown
Balthasar, Mercutio's Boyfriend – Jackson Fisch
Benvolio – Harrison Dowzell
Senator and Mrs Montague – Matt Petty & Daisy May Kemp
Rev. Bernadette Laurence – Daisy May Kemp
Frenchie – Hannah Mason
Dorcas – Bryony Harrison
Magdalen – Monique Jonas
Lavinia – Roisin Whelan
Morgan – Sharol Mackenzie
Edmund – Christopher Thomas
Lennox – Alexander Fadayiro
Sebastian – Callum Bowman
Fabian – Cameron Flynn
Nurses, Guard and Orderly – Daisy May Kemp & Matt Petty
Governor Escalus – Monique Jonas
Psychiatrist – Ben Brown
Swings – Kate Lyons & Mark Samaras
Griffin – Mark Samaras
Local Cast:
Faith – Tanisha Addicott
Martha – Emily Galvin
Bridget – Hannah Kremer
Rafe – Janacek Wood
Ambrose – Ashton Hall
Production
Directed & Choreographed by Matthew Bourne
Music composed by Sergei Prokofiev
Set & Costume Design – Lez Brotherston
Lighting Design – Paule Constable
Sound Design – Paul Groothuis
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.
