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Edinburgh Ballet: Romeo & Juliet's violent dreams revealed
14 Aug
Summary
- A dance film reimagines Romeo and Juliet as a 70-minute nightmare.
- The ballet explores alienation of love and brevity of youth.
- It features a disturbing scene of Juliet dragged by an unseen force.
Scottish Ballet's rendition of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Christopher Hampson and Oscar Sansom, offers a potent and physically charged dance film. This adaptation compresses Shakespeare's tragedy into a 70-minute, dreamlike sequence, emphasizing dread over romance.
The ballet is characterized by its athletic and sensual choreography, presenting a radical impressionistic take on the play. A recurring, disturbing image involves Juliet being dragged across grass by an unseen force.
This version notably alters key scenes, omitting the balcony scene and suggesting the lovers' demise is a mutual gesture of despair rather than an accident. Juliet's isolation and her family's attempts to marry her off to Paris are central.
The performance is a dark and pessimistic exploration of love's alienation and youth's fleeting nature. It is executed with vehement commitment and considerable style by the dancers.
