Review: Greatest love story ever told lacks heart

Romeo and Juliet ***
Festival Theatre

PACKED with big ideas and superb individual performances, Scottish Ballet's new production of Romeo and Juliet is pleasing to watch and finds relevance for a contemporary audience – but is lacking at its heart.

Guest choreographer Krzysztov Pastor uses a naturalistic approach to his movement, which creates a ballet that is immediately accessible in telling the story.

It needs to be. Pastor has filleted Shakespeare's original plot as he translates it to modern Italy. Gone are Juliet's nurse, Paris and the Duke of Milan. Which might trouble traditionalists, but not Pastor, whose sweeping use of ensemble scenes drives the story on.

It all helps to serve a vision in which Romeo and Juliet's love – forbidden because their families are at war with each other – is a symbol of humanity and individual choice flying in the face of crushing authoritarianism.

There's no need for comic relief from the Nurse in Pastor's vision, nor do the lovers need her as a go-between. They meet on the street.

It's the 1930s and Juliet's family, the black-clad Capulets, march with fascistic intent, while Romeo's more laid back Montagues flirt with any young Capulets who seem to be having second thoughts.

From Paul Liburd, superb as Romeo's pal Mercutio, facing off against Tama Barry, who is equally in control as Juliet's cousin Tybalt, and all the way through the company, the violence between the two families is palpable.

In many ways it is Mercutio and Tybalt's violent relationship that dominates. Their fighting duets break out again and again – hand-to-hand combat until Juliet's father hands Tybalt a dagger. And their deaths foreshadow Romeo and Juliet's own tragedy.

Romeo and Juliet's affair is well worked. Their first meeting at a Capulet ball, where she is supposed to be dancing for wealthy suitors, is a stroke of genius. Two sets of ensemble dancers, sweeping back and forth across the stage in mirrored unison, suddenly leave a gap in the middle, with the two stranded in empty space.

Rather less spectacular is their ensuing duet. It has some very elegant touches, but as an expression of young love, it doesn't reach anything like the intensity or passion that is evident in Prokofiev's score.

Everything else about their affair, from their longing for each other to their public meeting and their tragic suicides is hugely emotional. But in their moments alone together it feels as if Pastor does not have the vocabulary of movement to reflect the true passion of their feelings.

While that central spark is missing, the surrounding passion smoulders darkly. However, in drawing the action up to the present, Pastor underlines that this is not a historical tragedy, but has a relevant message for today.

• Run ends Saturday