The Royal Ballet: Romeo and Juliet

Royal Ballet and Opera, London
March 8, 2025

It is a modern classic. Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet guarantees a wonderful evening in every way.

Beyond the choreography and dancing, Nicholas Georgiadis’ designs are sumptuous, for all the world looking like a Renaissance painting come to life. There are several times through the ballet when the cast actually create a static pose, moments when they become that painting. Absolute magic. The set, while giving a real sense of depth, allows elegant sufficiency of space for Laura Morera’s exciting and very busy staging. John B Read’s lighting adds moodiness and, particularly in the tomb finale, a cold bleakness foreshadowing what we all know is to come.

But to the dancing, where Anna Rose O’Sullivan stole the performance with depiction of a headstrong, intuitive, naïve, madly in love teenager. Her Juliet was infused with youthful longings and impetuousness. You felt compelled to look at her, even when she wasn’t actually dancing. And when she was, it was about as flawless as it gets. Several times, she floated across the stage, seemingly ephemeral, lost in the moment. Her fear at waking-up in the shadowy tomb was palpable.

Any Romeo would have struggled to hold their own alongside O’Sullivan, and Reece Clark somehow didn’t quite get there. His interpretation held true, but his dancing seemed at times to lack the effortlessness required. He partnered O’Sullivan magnificently though. The pas de deux were technically and emotionally fabulous.

O’Sullivan and Clarke were more than admirably backed up by the excellent corps, who danced with a verve and togetherness that was a joy to watch. Nadia Mullova-Barley, Mica Bradbury and Leticia Dias, dancing the three harlots, were a particular delight.

Of the other soloists, Francisco Serrano, dancing Mercutio, and Gary Avis, dancing Tybalt, gave strong performances. Serrano’s Mercutio was especially fiery. Aiden O’Brian was rather anodyne in his rendition of Paris, but it is a horribly tricky role with not a huge amount for the dancer to get hold of. Nevertheless, it could have done with a bit more characterisation.

Both the nurse, Olivia Cowley, and Friar Lawrence, James Hay, brought their acting skills to bear, and delivered fully rounded interpretations of these roles.

The final word goes to conductor Koen Kessels and the Royal Opera House Orchestra. The music, which is incredibly powerful anyway, filled the theatre and was so much more than an accompaniment to the dancers. Kessels and his musicians played the Prokofiev with a passion to fill the soul. Which sort of sums of the whole ballet.

Romeo and Juliet is at The Royal Ballet and Opera to May 26, 2025.