Queensland Ballet’s performance of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet opened this week and it is spectacular! The performance was a testament to the romance of the story, speaking to the audience of both love and tragedy.
Kenneth MacMillan’s works focuses on the melancholy of storytelling, Romeo and Juliet was seen by MacMillian as a way to move beyond ballets own romance with fairytales. The universal themes of young love, revenge and expectation, was considered to be a bridging point between ballet and larger audiences. For Queensland Ballet the 2014 Romeo and Juliet proved to do just that, drawing in large audiences to see the tale familiar to all of us. This week the theatre was again full with chatter, each person curious as to how Queensland Ballet would interpret the beloved tale.
MacMillian’s choreography is known for its splendour and precision, the opening market scene is a key example. The stage teemed with life, each dancer performing an intricate component of a large and thriving scene. It did not matter which part of the stage you looked to, each dancer was engaging in their own right.
Romeo (Patricio Reeve), Mercutio (Kohei Iwamoto) and Benvolio (Alexander Idaszak) were charming from the instant. Mercutio entertained the audience entirely with his enthusiasm and frivolous attempts at coy. The three harlots demanded the attention of the three Montagues, creating trouble and humour to the delight of audiences. The tensions between Montagues and Capulets come to a head, with a fight between the sides in the marketplace. The fight at first is humorous, but ultimately leads to tragedy. The scene marks a turning point where the families give up their swords to prevent future violence, but the grudge remains below the surface.
The first scene featuring Juliet (Mia Heathcote) reminds us that she is a child. Juliet appears naive and protected from the outside world, as she and her maid play with her doll across the stage. The first few scenes demonstrate the age differences between Romeo and Juliet, as well as the role of gender. Romeo is older and free to do as he pleases, whereas Juliet is young, sheltered and confined mostly to her nurse for company. On the brink of ‘adulthood’ Juliet is introduced to the outside world as her parents introduce her to a suitable match in the character Paris (Joel Woellner).
The dance hall scene is where Juliet makes her debut. The drama of Sergei Prokofiev’s Dance of the Knights is the peak of the show, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra proving to be beyond exceptional. Lord Capulet (Steven Heathcote), Tybalt (Vito Bernasconi) and Paris (Joel Woellner), were enthralling to watch. When Romeo first lays eyes upon Juliet, the event is thrown into a competitive chaos between Romeo and Paris. Tyblat’s attempts to wedge himself between Romeo and Juliet, quickens the pace of the performance creating intrigue, tension and excitement.
The staging was remarkable, the grandeur of the Dance of the Knights transfixed the audience members only to then collapse into intimate moments between the star crossed lovers. When Romeo serenades Juliet at the window, the stage feels intimate and the lovers within reach.
The timing between scenes appeared long in parts and audience members did start to comment, however this was quickly forgotten once the next scene commenced.
A particular highlight was the morning after the wedding night, where Romeo must leave Juliet. You can feel the tension between the lovers and the vulnerability of Juliet. Later when Artistic Director Li Cunxin announced the promotion of Mia Heathcote and Patricio Reve, this scene in particular came to mind.
In the bedroom Scene Paris comes to propose to Juliet, the anxiety and frustration of each of the characters is apparent. Mia Heathcote’s dancing is exquisite, her ability to convey through dance what is such a complex spoken scene within Shakespeare is remarkable. The difficulty of Juliet in balancing both her parents’ expectations, her societal obligations and that of her love Romeo, is transparent through Heathcote’s movements.
Some of the more sombre scenes although executed well technically, felt estranged. One-bedroom scene where Juliet lay in bed distressed over her beloved, felt laboured and prolonged. The final scene was brief and came to halt rather unexpectedly, despite knowing the ending.
Queensland Ballet’s performance of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, was an enriching experience and one that you should not miss.
28 Aug - 7 Sept, 2019
QPAC, Lyric Theatre
By Elizabeth Ralph
Photographer David Kelly, photo provided by Queensland Ballet