Matthew Bourne's Romeo + Juliet: A Review

By Darlene Donloe

The North American premiere of Matthew Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet has landed at the Ahmanson Theatre with high anticipation, and thunderous applause coupled with standing ovations. 

The show is a contemporary re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet featuring young dancers in a production focused on bringing youth and vitality, accompanied by a new orchestration of the Prokofiev score, which is the show’s melodic character. 

The opening night crowd that settled in to witness the dance revival of the classic Shakespeare story included Dule Hill, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Adam Shankman, and Melissa McCarthy. 

What everyone in that theater witnessed on opening night was nothing short of brilliant and hypnotic.

The show’s two stars, Paris Fitzpatrick (Romeo) and Monique Jonas (Juliet) are enchanting and symbiotic and in lockstep in their presentation of the star-crossed lovers.

This radical reworking of the classic offers a somewhat different story but maintains a powerful twist.  

Bourne effectively uses the body instead of words to tell the story. The moving and emotional journey he takes the audience along the way to the climactic scene is worth the wait.

The setting is Verona Institute, an asylum for young people. It’s a pretty sad place with vicious guards who freely rape and cause havoc to presumed disturbed inhabitants put there by their parents who had no clue about how to handle their child’s issues. 

The staging, which has prison bars, built-in ladders, and a walkway/balcony, doubles and triples for a place where the “inmates” sleep, do their morning exercises, and take their meds like good little Stepford Wives and Husbands. 

There is camaraderie among the institute’s residents who come to each other’s aid when confronted by the brutal authority figures. 

Juliet is already at the institute when Romeo is unceremoniously dropped off by his parents - who happen to be politicians.  Romeo doesn’t seem to fit into his parents’ picture of the politically correct familial bliss. 

When Romeo and Juliet meet – it’s fireworks.  Juliet, who is being pursued by a brute of a guard named Tybalt (Adam Galbraith) – finds comfort, solace, and safety in the arms of Romeo. 

The choreography between Romeo and Juliet is mesmerizing, luscious, and sexy as it tells their love story. 

The impressive choreography is also used to represent the angst of the youngsters through running, stomping, climbing walls, jumping on beds, and the usual horseplay that happens when young people’s hormones are trapped in one location.

This is a brilliant production with an even more brilliant cast. Romeo + Juliet makes for a wonderful night of theater. 

Bourne, a British choreographer, is known for his quirky interpretations and revivals of classic musicals and stories like ‘Edward Scissorhands,’ ‘My Fair Lady,’ ‘Swan Lake,’ ‘Mary Poppins,’ and ‘Sleeping Beauty: A Gothic Romance’. 

'Romeo + Juliet' includes music by Terry Davies and is based on the original score by Sergei Prokofiev. The show is directed and choreographed by Bourne. It was presented in association with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center, the New Adventures creative team, Sadler’s Wells, and Arts Council England. 

'Matthew Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet,' directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, with music by Sergei Prokofiev, stars Paris Fitzpatrick, Monique Jonas, Adam Galbraith, Cameron Flynn, Jackson Fisch, Euan Garrett, Daisy May Kemp, Alan Vincent, Anya Ferdinand, Bryony Pennington, Kate Lyons, Blue Makwana, Tanisha Addicott, Kurumi Kamayachi, Matthew Amos, Eve Ngbokota, Leonardo McCorkindale, Adam Davies, and Hannah Kremer. 

Running time: 2 hours, including intermission. 

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet, Ahmanson Theatre, 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012, 8 p.m. Tues.-Fri., 2 and 8 p.m. Sat., and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sun. through Sunday, February 25, 2024, Thursday Matinee, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m., No performance Sunday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m.; tickets begin at $35; CenterTheatreGroup.org, Audience Services at (213) 628-2772, in person — Center Theatre Group Box Office (at the Ahmanson Theatre) at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012; groups - centertheatregroup.org/tickets/groups-and-corporate-offers

Access — Center Theatre Group - For more information, please visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/Access. 

Photos courtesy of CTG

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t know), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah), and E (excellent), 'Matthew Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet' gets an E (excellent).