Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet

21-29 March 2025

Lyric Theatre

Queensland Ballet

“These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which as they kiss consume.” - William Shakespeare 1594 ************************************************

The Queensland Ballet production of “Romeo and Juliet” is fantastic. The opening night

audience rose as one for a standing ovation.

This tale of woe is compelling. “Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought”.

The “star-crossed lovers” die in consequence of the historic hatred between the Montague

and Capulet families in ancient Verona.

Chiara Gonzalez dances the role of Juliet with great beauty. Patricio Reve is a strong,

passionate Romeo driven by love to challenge the enmity between the two households.

Prokofiev’s musical score is performed brilliantly by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

In particular, the military-like dance of the Capulets expresses the haunting menace which

underlies this drama.

This menace gives rise to a sword fight between the young men of the Capulets and

Montagues with fatal consequences.

It is hard to think of a scene in ballet or any drama which expresses pathos like the

concluding moments in the Capulet Family Crypt. Romeo, wrongly believing Juliet to be

dead, kills himself with a phial of poison. Juliet awakes to see her dead husband.

Overwhelmed with grief, she stabs herself to death.

“For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”– William

Shakespeare 1594.

Duration: 2 hours 50 minutes with two 20-minute intervals

Performances: 21 - 29 March 2025

Choreography: Sir Kenneth MacMillan

Music: Sergei Prokofiev

Music Performed by: Queensland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nigel Gaynor

Photography: David Kelly

Performance seen: Friday 21 March 2025 at 7.30pm

Reviewed by: Matt Foley