Northern Ballet R&J Exhibition

[Guest oncnp]

 

Christopher Gable CBE and Massimo Moricone’s Romeo & Juliet has survived fire, flood and changing fashions for more than three decades

In celebration of the ballet’s revival this spring, Leeds University will be launching a dedicated exhibition about the work and its history.

 

Browse drawings, props, costumes and photographs from our archive and discover the eventful story behind the making of a classic.

 

When: 9 Jan – 22 Mar 2024

Where: The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, Parkinson Building,

Woodhouse Ln, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9JT

 

https://library.leeds.ac.uk/events/event/692/preserving-the-passion-northern-ballets-romeo-and-juliet?utm_campaign=1575722_R%26J Exhibition announcement Pat %26 Ben&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nb_newsletter&dm_i=6S78,XRU2,4TJAR7,46N6H,1

[Ondine]

16 minutes ago, oncnp said:

dedicated exhibition about the work and its history.

 

But, as Shakespeare said elsewhere, the course of true love never did run smooth. In 2001 arsonists destroyed Northern Ballet’s headquarters and much of its archive, including costumes from ‘Romeo & Juliet’, just three weeks before opening night. Then the catastrophic floods that struck Leeds on Boxing Day 2015 wrecked sets and costumes at the company’s stores. A recent public appeal has supported the recreation, repair and updating of Lez Brotherston OBE’s intricate period costumes and spectacular wooden set, ready for the long-awaited revival of the piece. 

 

The Northern Ballet Archive, donated to the University of Leeds in 2021, tells the 50-year story of the company from its foundation to the present. This exhibition documents the production, the evolution and sometimes the complete recreation of a cornerstone of the repertoire – and celebrates the return of this beloved work to the stage in the company’s home city of Leeds. 

 

 A little shaky, there is a YouTube

 

Ben Critchley

 

Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet - Northern Ballet Theatre BBC2 Christmas 1992

 

Comments under include:

 

I couldn't stop crying, wailing actually, when the end credits started rollout, totally overwhelmed by its sheer tragedy, expressed through these genius, genius dancers. Hats off to the choreographer Massimo Moricone, a tale set in Italy, immortalised by his tribute to the arts: that absolute love! I haven't seen anything quite like it, coming all together in such magic. Worth my journey on earth.

 

I have been searching for this since I saw it on A&E (once an arts channel in the states) many years ago. Best R&J ever. Death of Tybalt leaves me shattered. Thanks for posting this. I don’t know why they don’t release this commercially.

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by Ondine

[CCL]

There’s rather a nice piece in today’s links (thank you Jan) about this exhibition from the Craven Herald newspaper.