Romeo and Juliet

Published Thursday 27 March 2008 at 12:40 by John Percival

The Stuttgart Ballet has brought John Cranko’s version of Romeo and Juliet for its leg of the Spring into Dance season at the London Coliseum.

Created in 1962, Cranko’s third season as artistic director of the company, it pre-dates Kenneth MacMillan’s ponderous version made for the Royal Ballet three years later.

The expose of the plot, largely dictated by Prokofiev’s thumping score, and many of the incidents are common to both versions. Cranko takes a lighter, less doom-laden view of the story though, and in this he is helped by Jurgen Rose’s costumes and decors which show us renaissance gardens and rolling green hills as well as crowded markets.

And at this performance at least Cranko’s lovers are younger, more innocent. Blonde Katja Wunsche is a touching Juliet who grows convincingly from a happy adolescent intrigued by the first sight of her intended bridegroom (Douglas Lee as a noble Paris) to the dying woman cradling her husband’s body in her arms. Friedeman Vogel’s charmingly puppyish Romeo is supported by an impressive technique and the trio for Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio (Filip Barankiewicz and Marijn Rademaker) won well-deserved spontaneous applause.

On this showing the company looks to be in excellent shape and there are good, committed performances from all, without the fussy overacting that so often mars story ballets. The older characters in particular are well played and special mention must be made of Marcia Haydee, Cranko’s Juliet, returning to her old company as a formidable Lady Capulet.