Glorious staging of ballet Romeo & Juliet, where humour, tragedy collide

The principal dancers in this winter’s exquisite production of Romeo and Juliet, staged by Cape Town City Ballet and choreographed by Veronica Paeper, display poise and intimacy which shines throughout the three-act ballet.

Cape Town City Ballet’s Kirstél Paterson and Lêusson Muniz were enchanting in their soaring pas de deux on the ballet’s opening night in Cape Town this month. Their talent, together with a dynamic performance by the corps de ballet, earned a standing ovation when the final curtain fell.

Ballet aficionados who watched guest artists Vadim Muntagirov and Fumi Kaneko, principals at the Royal Ballet, dance the star-crossed lovers were spellbound, describing their footwork and expressions as sublime. This golden ballet couple are following in the elegant footsteps of the Royal Ballet’s 20th century legends Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev to be among the best in the world.

But this staging of Romeo and Juliet at the Artscape Opera House has a depth that goes far beyond the principal dancers, with the well-rehearsed corps de ballet infusing their roles with force and humour. The dancers playing Mercutio, Tybalt and Paris were particularly compelling.

To be fair, the men have more opportunity to seize the limelight in this ballet with their tumble dance and sword fighting, impeccably executed, than the women. But all of them embodied the dramatic elements needed to keep the story flowing.

The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by either Brandon Phillips or guest conductor Jonathan Lo — who took the baton on the opening night — added another powerful dimension to the experience. As thundering and playful notes from Sergei Prokofiev’s score rose from the pit, I remembered that nothing compares with a live performance.

The set and costumes, capturing the opulence and chaos of Verona in 14th-century Italy, was also magnificent. The creative team under Peter Cazalet, the innovative head of décor and costume design, and award-winning lighting designer Wilhelm Disbergen, set the mood just right in the multiple changes of scene.

Paeper, who has choreographed more than 40 ballets since 1972, has collaborated for decades with Cazalet, who came out of retirement for this production.

The original music score has 52 scenes, intricately connected to the plot of Shakespeare’s play, and the ballet is designed to follow this structure. The 13 scenes described in the ballet’s synopsis are in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa on the programme.

On Thursday night, ballet fans will have a chance to see dazzling guest artist Siphesihle November dance the role of Romeo with Cape Town's Chanté Daniels as his Juliet. Born in SA, he is now a principal artist of the National Ballet of Canada, while his brother Mthuthuzeli is also an award-winning dancer of international fame.

Cape Town’s Hannah Ward makes her debut in a principal role as Juliet in this production with another guest artist Brandon Lawrence, principal of Birmingham Royal Ballet, on the weekend, with Brandon Phillips conducting the final show.

This Romeo and Juliet is a grand production, a post-pandemic celebration of beauty and talent, where artists are free to rise again.

• Romeo and Juliet is being presented until 28 August at the Artscape Opera House. Ticket prices range from R175 to R750.