FOOTLIGHTS Canberra audiences are in for a rare treat with the Royal New Zealand ballet’s production of Romeo and Juliet. The music by Sergei Prokofiev, probably best known for his Peter and the Wolf, has one of the biggest, most well known hit tunes. Featured in numerous commercials, rock songs, soundtracks and even computer games, the item, The Montagues and the Capulets, also known as the Dance of the Knights, will be thrilling to hear. It’s ‘a dark and atmospheric piece, it has become a de facto signature tune for the Soviet era, and is used as the soundtrack for numerous dramas, documentaries and adverts that have Soviet subject matter.’
Pulling out all the stops, the music will be played live by the excellent Canberra Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tom Woods. Their recent sell-out performance of Verdi’s Requiem was a triumph. If you haven’t seen the Canberra Symphony live at Llewellyn Hall yet, don’t miss their last two concerts, featuring Elgar’s Enigma Variations and Bruch’s popular Violin Concerto. There’s even a special deal for people who’ve never been. Too often Australian audiences have been duped by seventh rate touring companies from Russia with amateur choreography, recorded sound and stinking, unwashed costumes. I sat through a production several years ago at the Canberra Theatre where the set consisted of a large, multicoloured backdrop from some exuberant production, with holes cut out for doorways. There is none of that with this production. Christopher Hampson’s staging of Romeo & Juliet was first performed by the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2003 and, following a hugely successful UK tour, it was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Production in 2005. The production is inspired by the look of Fellini’s La Dolce Vita and Baz Luhrmann’s film version so expect to see something lavish and dramatic. It features rich and bloody colours from designer Tracy Grant Lord. The costumes are a mix of stunning and drab. The set at times stark and simplistic, other times featuring a sweeping staircase and enormous rear projections. Probably no other play of Shakespeare’s has been adapted more and this production has all the indicators of being one not to miss. Romeo and Juliet. Canberra Theatre. Tuesday 10 August to Saturday 14 August 2010. Bookings 6275 2700
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By Robert Henderson