Royal Swedish Ballet's Julia and Romeo: surreal and modern

Anthony Lomuljo as Romeo and Madeline Woo as Julia in Mats Ek's Julia and Romeo

Royal Swedish Ballet in Mats Ek's Julia and Romeo

Calum Lowden as Paris and Madeline Woo as Julia in Mats Eks' Julia and Romeo

Royal Swedish Ballet in Mats Ek's Julia and Romeo

Anthony Lomuljo as Romeo and Madeline Woo as Julia in Mats Ek's Julia and Romeo

By Graham Watts, 24 April 2023

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“Tybalt’s wet-look, fake leather trousers suggested that he had just returned from a night’s clubbing”

Reviewed at Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm on 21 April 2023

Julia and Romeo (Daniel Goldsmith, Mats Ek)

Royal Swedish Ballet

Marc Piollet, Conductor

Magdalena Åberg, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Linus Fellbom, Lighting Designer

Royal Swedish Orchestra

Dawid Kupinski, Dancer

Anthony Lomuljo, Dancer

Madeline Woo, Dancer

Daniel Norgren Jensen, Dancer

Dmitry Zagrebin, Dancer

Ivan Auzely, Dancer

Norwegian National Ballet's Dialogues II: brief but brilliant

Graham Watts, 3rd April

A brief but excellent programme of five duets showcased on the main stage of the Den Norske Opera.

***11

Mats Ek's She was black + A Sort Of ...: thrillingly captivating

Maggie Foyer, 6th June

Norwegian National Ballet's highly entertaining double bill of two of Mats Ek's most popular works is enthralling.

*****

Ek and Ekman's subversive double bill is enjoyable madness

Vikki Jane Vile, 21st February

The latest double bill from Staatsballett Berlin features witty, high energy and thought provoking works by Mats Ek and Alexander Ekman, though the audience may not fathom their meaning.

***11

A new Mats Ek Rite of Spring a leaving gift for ENB's Tamara Rojo

Graham Watts, 9th November

Ek's second, very different take on Stravinsky's Rite crowns an English National Ballet triple bill extolling the pure joy of dance and exposing the terror of forced marriage.

****1

Zucchetti premiere and Beauty top and tail the RB's mixed programme

Graham Watts, 26th June

Marianela Núñez possesses a shimmering, celestial radiance and Vadim Muntagirov is a Prince in his prime.

****1

Juliet and Romeo succeeds in Washington

Hilary Stroh, 1st June

Mat Eks kicks his dancers loose from the stable: a fresh take on Shakespeare's most celebrated romance.

****1

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Graham Watts

Graham Watts is a freelance dance writer and critic writing regularly for Dancing Times, Dance Europe, Danza Europa, and many more publications. He regularly writes features for Sadler’s Wells, London Coliseum and La Scala. Chairman of the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle in the United Kingdom and of the UK National Dance Awards he has interviewed many of the greatest names in dance including Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, Boris Eifman, Alexei Ratmansky, Andris Liepa, Sir Peter Wright, David Bintley and Dame Gillian Lynne. When not involved in dance Graham is a keen fencer, and has captained the British Sabre team.