Created by Sir Matthew Bourne for his New Adventures company in 2019 and presenting a winning combination of classical and contemporary dance, Romeo + Juliet is this week touring to the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton.

Although a radical interpretation, the production does retain some of Shakespeare’s original plot and characters. However, rather than taking place in Verona in the 16th century, this classic love story is retold in more modern times, at the soulless Verona Institute, with many of the central characters taking very different roles. The institute appears to be some kind of correctional facility or mental-health asylum designed to incarcerate problem youths who do not conform to society’s norms.

Les Brotherston’s set is minimal and clinical, his costumes white and sterile. Paule Constable’s lighting enhances the impact of both, but especially the set; the smooth surfaces, the barred doors, the highwire fences, the security lights - and particularly the tiled background against which shadows fall, giving an extra menace to some of the show’s darker scenes.

Matthew Bourne’s dynamic choreography is in total contrast to his dancers’ surroundings. This is never clearer than during the unnerving Dance Of The Knights. The young inmates dance in a stiff, robotic style when in the presence of their oppressors, but come alive when unobserved, their bodies intertwining, their exchanges becoming increasingly sexual.

Romeo is the institute’s newest inmate. The audience watch as he is incarcerated by his politician parents for what appears to be the ‘crime’ of not conforming to their exacting expectations. He joins the other young adults, who are heavily controlled, suppressed and segregated. Their anger and resentment is powerfully conveyed by the expertly choreographed, impeccably performed routines they dance in jazz shoes or bare feet.

Romeo meets Juliet at a social event organised for the inmates by the Reverend Bernadette Laurence (Daisy May Kemp), who offers some gentle nurturing as well as spiritual guidance. Unlike in the original, there are no gangs or feuding families keeping the star-crossed lovers apart. The divide here is between the powerless inmates and the people in authority.

Paris Fitzpatrick (Romeo) and Cordelia Braithwaite (Juliet) make exquisite leads. Their desire for one another is palpable and intoxicating. The balcony-scene duet is truly heartfelt. Their long kiss displays not just teenage lust but a feeling of desperation; a longing for the affection of which they have both been starved.

Braithwaite's Juliet is breathtaking. Bravely, she repeatedly stands up to her abuser - the thuggish and predatory guard, Tybalt (Adam Galbraith) - who bullies the inmates and assaults her off-stage. The fear that he instills is strongly felt by the audience. His abuse haunts Juliet and ultimately has catastrophic consequences, resulting in her own and Romeo’s untimely deaths.

The cast is outstanding throughout, with Cameron Flynn, Adam Davies and Jackson Fisch - as Mercutio, Benvolio and Balthasar respectively - all worthy of special mention.

The ballet also features a reorchestrated arrangement of Prokofiev’s iconic score. Although the production has used a smaller orchestra than might typically be expected, the score loses none of its poise or impact, brilliantly adding real depth to the drama unfolding on stage. For touring performances, the music is pre-recorded.

This unconventional retelling of Shakespeare’s famous love story is completely captivating from start to finish but is certainly no walk in the park. Exploring issues including sexual abuse, bullying, knife crime and homophobia, it is harrowing, haunting and heartbreaking. It is also, quite simply, superb. Definitely a show not to be missed.

5 stars

Reviewed by Sue Hull on Tuesday 17 October at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, where it shows until Saturday (21 October).