Romeo and Juliet: Tamara Rojo & Carlos Acosta, Royal Albert Hall
Tamara Rojo and Carlos Acosta star in Derek Deane’s Romeo and Juliet in the round at the Royal Albert Hall
Romeo and Juliet
Wednesday 11 June – Sunday 22 June 2014
Tickets: £19.50 – £70
Box Office: 020 7838 3100 www.royalalberthall.com
English National Ballet returned with great poise and panache to London’s Royal Albert Hall last night to present probably the most famous of William Shakespeare’s play Romeo & Juliet, starring leading dancers and old friends Carlos Acosta and The English National Ballet’s creative director Tamara Rojo.
I think this was evident in their performance as Tamara had commented on how special it was for her as she had been the ballet’s choreographer and creator’s Juliet back in 1998. Add to this the frisson of working with her former partner Carlos Acosta and it was likely to be a memorable evening.
Derek Deane’s production needed to fill space with both dance and passion and with Prokofiev’s evocative score at its heart, it had what looked like a full house poised.
From the masked ball that reminded me of Stanley Kubrick’s film Eyes Wide Shut to the seduction of forbidden love, no other ballet so convincingly portrays Shakespeare’s tragedy of two lovers.
As a piece of staging I find it’s interesting to compare film with performance as it takes the piece of art out of its comfort zone.
Busy streetlife, fighters and rivalry, well there is a subject that does not seem to go out of fashion. Using modern language one might infer luxury and intellect and the riches are evident for all to see.
A mobile set seems to be part of the action but the magnificence is the Company of over 120 dancers, actors and swordfighters.
Staging this ballet in the round at The Royal Albert Hall certainly adds both creative opportunities and concerns, and the feel is definitely different. Ones eye can wonder in lots of directions as opposed to having a clear enforced direction and keeping the momentum up can be a challenge, however there were certainly moments of not only brilliant dance but acting and the staging and the feeling invoked during part three was stupendous.
In fact I noticed myself feeling mesmerised in a trance like state.
As an evening wonderful, as a venue a perfect fit and as a piece of art well worth you taking part in, enjoying and discussing.
Tamara Rojo and Carlos Acosta will dance on 11, 13, 15 and 17 June
Romeo and Juliet
Wednesday 11 June – Sunday 22 June 2014
Tickets: £19.50 – £70
Box Office: 020 7838 3100 / www.royalalberthall.com
