BRB to perfom romantic classic Romeo and Juliet at Birmingham Hippodrome

25 August 2006

The greatest love story ever told.

Birmingham Royal Ballet will open its autumn season at Birmingham Hippodrome with Kenneth MacMillan’s acclaimed production of Romeo and Juliet from Saturday 30 September to Saturday 7 October. With an exquisite score by Prokofiev and sumptuous designs by Paul Andrews, this tale of family feuds, forbidden passion, love, loss and death is an unmissable experience.

When young Romeo Montague tricks his way into the lavish masked ball of the Capulet family it is love at first dance. But the Capulets are old enemies of the Montagues and the immediate passion between Romeo and the beautiful Juliet Capulet is quickly forbidden.

Boldly forgoing the approval of their families, the young lovers play by their own rules and soon their dangerous seduction is filled with secrets, as the star-crossed pair hatch a perilous plot. Can Romeo and Juliet play tricks with life and death – or will death play a final trick on them?

With orchestral climaxes, moments of exquisite tenderness and grand processional episodes, Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet is widely regarded as one of the great scores of the 20th century.

Originally created for The Royal Ballet and based on Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet is now established as one of Kenneth MacMillan’s most popular full-length works.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Angela Hughes on 0121 245 3549; E-mail: AngelaHughes@brb.org.uk

Georgina Watts on 0121 245 3562; E-mail: GeorginaWatts@brb.org.uk

ROMEO & JULIET TRIVIA

All the male dancers are given fencing lessons so that the fight scenes look more authentic.

During BRB's Hippodrome season approximately twenty-four actors are employed to appear in the ballet as Royal subjects, beggars, market sellers and monks. They come from Birmingham and surrounding areas

When Prokofiev was writing his famous music for the ballet, his collaborators persuaded him to change the ending, with Romeo and Juliet both alive and well at the end! Fortunately, he changed his mind.

Design student Paul Andrews was only in his early twenties when Kenneth MacMillan saw his degree show, and immediately offered him the job of designing Romeo and Juliet. The audience will be blown away by Andrews' brilliantly evocative set, with its towering columns and classical statues, its shady walkways, a grand staircase and, of course, Juliet's famous balcony. The ballet launched Andews on a sparkling career in theatre and film, which was cut tragically short when he died in 1997.

It takes approximately 70 players of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia to perform Prokofiers Romeo and Juliet score.

ENDS

For further press information please contact:
Simon Harper, Media and PR Manager, on 0121 245 3562; Email: SimonHarper@brb.org.uk
or Claire Lishman, Media and PR Officer, on 0121 245 3549 Email: ClaireLishman@brb.org.uk

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