Press Release: Northern Ballet - Edinburgh to host the UK Première of Romeo and Juliet

[Jan McNulty]

Edinburgh to host the UK Première of Romeo and Juliet
 
 

Get swept up in the passion and heartbreak with Europe’s Best Ballet Company as Northern Ballet brings the UK Première of Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Les Ballets de Monte Carlo’s production of Romeo and Juliet to Edinburgh Festival Theatrefrom 26 – 28 February 2015 followed by Leeds Grand Theatre from 4 – 12 March 2015. A treasured classic reimagined, this is a timeless ballet for a modern audience.
 
Set to Prokofiev’s unforgettable score, played live by Northern Ballet Sinfonia, Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Romeo and Julietis a modern interpretation of a classical ballet, capturing the raw sensuality and the very essence of the story as Romeo and Juliet embark on their impulsive love affair. As the lovers are caught in the throes of ecstatic joy and crushing heartbreak, this production will see Northern Ballet’s dancers at their dramatic best bringing the intensity and extreme emotions to the stage.
 
Romeo and Juliet will be Northern Ballet’s first collaboration with acclaimed choreographer Maillot, who recently created a new version of The Taming of the Shrew for the Bolshoi Ballet. This is the first time that this production of Romeo and Juliethas been performed in the UK and by a British company. The UK Première will take place in Edinburgh followed by performances at Leeds Grand Theatre in March and a national tour in 2016.
 
Jean-Christophe Maillot said: ‘In this adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, my primary objective is to sincerely portray the powerful emotions to the audience so that they share in the passionate love of the young couple and take a journey with them. Interpreting the narrative is a specialism of Northern Ballet and for this reason I am curious and excited to see how the dancers will respond to the choreography and I am honoured that they will be the first British company to perform one of my ballets.’
 
Northern Ballet’s Artistic Director, David Nixon OBE, said: ‘Jean-Christophe Maillot's adaptation of Romeo and Juliet is an inspired contemporary response to the classic play and our talented dancers are ideally suited to interpret his wonderful language. This is a new production for our audiences to experience and reflect upon and I am delighted that we will be the first British company to present Jean-Christophe Maillot's work.’
 
Share in the passion and stolen moments of young love with Romeo and Juliet at Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 26 – 28 February 2015 or Leeds Grand Theatre from 4 – 12 March 2015.
 
Tickets for Edinburgh can be booked at edtheatres.com or by calling the box office on 0131 529 6000.
 
Tickets for Leeds can be booked at leedsgrandtheatre.com or by calling the box office on 0844 848 2700.
 
-ENDS-

 
Notes to Editors
For more details of Northern Ballet's tour, on sale dates and booking information, please visit northernballet.com/whatson.

Voted Best Company at the 2014 Taglioni European Ballet Awards, Northern Ballet is one of the UK’s five large ballet companies. Based in Leeds it performs throughout the UK as well as overseas. Northern Ballet’s productions mix classical dance and theatre, embracing popular culture and taking inspiration from literature, opera, or giving a unique interpretation of popular classical ballets.

Northern Ballet is the busiest touring ballet company in the UK and is typically on the road for around 32 weeks of the year. The Company of 46 dancers tours a combination of full-length new work and established repertoire to cities throughout the UK and is the only large scale ballet company to do so. Northern Ballet will introduce a new strand of touring from 2015, widening the Company’s already extensive reach. The new mid-scale tour will see the Company perform in nine additional venues.

Northern Ballet tours widely with its ballets for children, the first two of which were adapted for TV by CBeebies, and also performs a mixed programme showcasing the versatility of its dancers.

Visit northernballet.com for more information on the Company and tour. Production images and information are available via the online media centre.
 
Romeo and Juliet – Tour Dates
Edinburgh Festival Theatre                        
26 – 28 February 2015                                                
Box Office 0131 529 6000                
edtheatres.com                                                      
On sale now                                       

Leeds Grand Theatre
4 – 12 March 2015   
Box Office 0844 848 2700
leedsgrandtheatre.com 
On sale now  
 
Touring nationally in 2016. Details to be announced. See northernballet.com for updates.
 

[All4dancers]

Just booked tickets for Leeds! Very excited.

[Jan McNulty]

I'm going to the first night in both Edinburgh and Leeds!  The excitement is rising...

[aileen]

This sounds quite conventional compared with Maillot's take on Swan Lake in the form of Lac. I thought that he might have turned it into Romeo and *Julian* or something like that (not that there's anything wrong with that). It seems a bit strange that Maillot's company is bringing this production to London this year though.