Romeo & Juliet
Overview
Irresistible attraction, all-consuming passion, tragic consequences: Shakespeare’s heartbreaking tale is reimagined in a ballet that is “as vital, as alive and as stirring as can be” (The Telegraph ★★★★★).
Renaissance Italy, city of Verona. Tensions run high between the Montagues and the Capulets as the families stand on the brink of violence. Against the backdrop of simmering hatred, fate intervenes: love blooms across the divide. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet fall desperately in love. Can young love survive in a world ruled by conflict?
Created nearly 50 years ago for Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee, Rudolf Nureyev’s Romeo & Juliet still has the power to grab you with its electrifying drama.
From love at first sight to the final devastating embrace, the iconic story comes alive on stage.
English National Ballet Philharmonic perform Prokofiev’s soaring score live, including the unforgettable Dance of the Knights – the power of their sound amplifying every moment.
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Five ballets that will break your heart
Five things you may not know about Nureyev’s Romeo & Juliet
Explore the Story
Discover the Plot
Act 1
Scene I – The Market Square
The city of Verona is split by a feud between the Montague and Capulet families. Romeo, a young
Montague, is paying court to Rosaline but she rejects his advances.
An encounter between the retainers of the rival
families turns into a brawl. Benvolio tries to pacify his followers, the Montagues, but Tybalt encourages the Capulets.
Mercutio, who is friendly with both families, joins in cheerfully on both sides. The quarrel is interrupted by the arrival of the Prince of Verona and peace is temporarily restored.
Scene II – Juliet’s Anteroom
Juliet is playing with her companions and her nurse. Her parents, Lord and Lady Capulet, and Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt, arrive.
Juliet is introduced to Paris, a young man whom her parents have chosen to be her husband and who has brought Juliet a wedding dress as a gift.
Scene III – Outside the Capulet House
The Capulet family members welcome guests to their ball; Lord Capulet invites Mercutio and his friends to join them.
Meanwhile, Romeo is dismayed by another rejection from Rosaline, and Mercutio and his friends mock the discomforting effects of love and persuade Romeo to accompany them to the Capulet’s ball in disguise.
Scene IV – The Ball
Tybalt leads the dancing with Lady Capulet, and the whole assembly celebrates its solidarity against the Montagues. Juliet enters and performs a betrothal duet with Paris. Romeo enters with Mercutio and Benvolio and they join in the dance.
At the first touch of their hands, Romeo and Juliet fall in love. Romeo is recognised and Tybalt tries to throw him out but Lord Capulet intervenes.
Everyone joins in a final Wheel of Fortune dance.
Scene V – The Capulet’s Garden
Romeo is hiding outside in the Capulet’s garden.
Mercutio and Benvolio come in search of him but Tybalt’s arrival disturbs them.
As Juliet comes out into the garden Romeo emerges and they pledge their love for each other.
Act 2
Scene I – The Market Square
Romeo is waiting for news from Juliet. Juliet’s nurse has a letter for Romeo but she cannot find him. Mercutio and Benvolio tease them both.
The square fills up with market crowds, acrobats and entertainers. The Nurse finally finds Romeo and delivers the letter. Romeo reads that Juliet has arranged for Friar Lawrence to marry them secretly in his chapel.
Scene II – A Chapel
Romeo is waiting in the chapel. Juliet arrives and the two lovers are married by Friar Lawrence.
Scene III – The Market Square
The rival factions vie with each other in displays of dancing. Mercutio and Benvolio arrive followed by Tybalt, who is angrily looking for Romeo. He tries to provoke Romeo to fight and, when Romeo refuses, accuses him of effeminacy. Mercutio challenges Tybalt. He jokes as they fight, but Tybalt is serious: a knife flashes and the revellers find that Mercutio has been killed.
The Montagues force a sword into Romeo’s hand and he fights with Tybalt and kills him. The Prince arrives with Juliet, who finds that her new husband has become her cousin’s murderer.
Romeo is condemned to leave the next morning for exile in Mantua.
Act 3
Scene I – Juliet’s Bedroom
While Paris discusses his marriage to Juliet with Lord and Lady Capulet, Juliet sits in her room filled with dread.
Romeo steals in by the window and their marriage is consummated. Day breaks and he must leave for Mantua. Juliet’s family returns and forces her to prepare for her wedding to Paris. Juliet, in despair, tries to find the courage to kill herself, but the memory of her marriage to Romeo inspires her to seek the help of Friar Lawrence.
Scene II – A Chapel
Juliet runs to Friar Lawrence for advice, but finds Paris discussing the wedding. Friar Lawrence gets Paris to leave and explains to Juliet a way out of her predicament.
She is to drink a potion which will send her into a deep sleep. Thinking her dead, her parents will place her in the family crypt. Meanwhile, Friar John will have warned Romeo in Mantua and he will return at night to carry her away when she awakes.
Juliet foresees herself reunited with Romeo.
Scene III – Juliet’s Bedroom
Juliet pretends to agree to marry Paris. Left alone, she is filled with doubts. Should she choose suicide using Tybalt’s dagger thereby preserving the family honour, or follow the advice to live for love?
Finally she decides to drink the potion.
Scene IV – Juliet’s Anteroom
Paris arrives to greet Juliet with his marriage retinue of musicians and dancers. But when her family tries to wake her she appears to be dead.
The wedding turns into a funeral. Benvolio hurries away to tell Romeo.
Scene V – The Road to Mantua
On the way to Mantua with Friar Lawrence’s letter to Romeo, Friar John is attacked, robbed and killed.
Romeo never receives Friar John’s message.
Scene VI – Mantua
Ignorant of all that has happened in Verona since he left, Romeo dreams of Juliet. He is woken by Benvolio bringing news of Juliet’s apparent death. Seized with despair, he leaves for Verona.
Scene VII – The Capulet Crypt
Juliet is laid to rest in the Capulet crypt. When the mourners have gone, Romeo steals in to say farewell.
He finds Paris there and kills him, then distracted by grief, he poisons himself. Juliet wakes to find Romeo dead beside her and kills herself with his dagger.
The families are finally united in grief.
Meet the team
Rudolf Nureyev
Sergei Prokofiev
Ezio Frigerio
Ezio Frigerio and Franca Squarciapino
Tharon Musser
Meet the Principal Cast
UK Tour Sponsor
FAQs
The age guidance for Rudolf Nureyev’s Romeo & Juliet is 10+, due to the duration (2 hours and 55 minutes, including 2 intervals) and content.
The ballet depicts scenes of violence, bawdy humour, and the tragic end of the star-crossed lovers.
Principal casting is published a few months in advance.
The full casting is published on the day of each performance to ensure maximum accuracy. Both the principal casting and downloadable daily cast sheets can be found on the page of each production.
Our Friends and Patrons receive priority notice regarding principal casting – please consider supporting us if you are interested in early access to Company news.
Performances
Liverpool Empire
Palace Theatre, Manchester
Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
London Coliseum
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Access Information
Access information – Liverpool Empire
Access information – Palace Theatre, Manchester
Access information – Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
Access information – London Coliseum
There will be an audio-described performance of Romeo & Juliet at the London Coliseum on Saturday 23 January at 2pm, with a Touch Tour for visually impaired audience members before the performance at 12pm.
