Review: Juliet & Romeo Bristol Old Vic
An innovative piece of storytelling bringing a fresh perspective on the famous play
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous and enduring love stories in the world. The passionate and tragic story of the star-crossed lovers has captured the imagination of creatives for centuries. It’s been staged with every conceivable slant.
In ballet we’ve had Kenneth MacMillan to Matthew Bourne. There’s been endless reinterpretations of the text on stage. This year, it ran for three solid months at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
There’s pop culture references galore, Hot Fuzz has to win here. And, of course, not forgetting the Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann films.
Lost Dog dance company is in Bristol this week with Ben Duke’s Juliet & Romeo. It’s conceived and directed by Ben Duke and devised by Solène Weinachte.
Juliet & Romeo is a fresh new take on the two characters, looking at what might have happened had both survived rather than died.
In this universe, the pair flee from their families, jump on a plane to Paris and set up home in a flat. They go on to have a daughter. Shakespeare based his play on this pair, which Juliet obsesses over. She feels the weight of her famous youth, exploring it endlessly through memories and the play text.
“Do you know who I am?” a frazzled Juliet bellows at a traffic warden whilst grappling with her octopus-limbed toddler.
We meet them in their forties at couples counselling as they try and work through their relationship issues. It’s not been plain sailing. This is a marriage in free fall being given one final chance to reconnect.
The story is told through contemporary dance, strong theatrical storytelling, spoken dialogue – to each other and directly to the audience – comedy and pathos.
The whole concept works brilliantly as a show. It’s original and innovative. The choreography and its execution is excellent.
Juliet is Emily Terndrup and Romeo is John Kendall.
At times, they dance like they breathe together as a pair. It’s used to beautiful effect when they experience a loss.
Dance set to The Beatles I Want You and The Sound of Silence blends strong physicality with splashes of comedy. Biting, grappling, passion.
Whilst there are moving moments of sadness there are also plenty of laughs.
Ben Dukes has choreographed for Rambert, which is a marker of where this show is pitched on the contemporary dance spectrum.
The impact of the storytelling come the end is excellent because it is given the full space it needs to breathe along the way.
There are nods to the play’s other iterations, such as a mention of Leonardo DiCaprio, dance to Prokofiev’s Dance of the Knights and Des’ree’s Kissing You. Shakespeare quotes are used sparingly, but slam home making the audience roar with laughter.
The show is an exploration of relationships and how they change over time. Can a relationship built on a fundamental misunderstanding, a lie, celebrity and feuding families survive in the long run?
Whilst re-enacting memories of when they first met, Juliet’s and Romeo’s didn’t align, their perspectives quite different. It’s deepening the very cracks they are trying to heal.
Juliet grows to feel abandoned by him as he uses travels and opportunities to avoid his responsibilities as a parent. She fills the hole in her life with fantasy and imagination.
It culminates in a brutal showdown that made the audience react in a visceral way.
Romeo mostly carries a hipster vibe through the show, but the inner turmoil erupts at the end. John Kendall’s final solo is a Vesuvius moment.
The music is carefully chosen, including such artists as The Beatles, Des’ree, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Simon & Garfunkel and Frank Sinatra.
Do the pair manage to avoid their story ending in tragedy yet again? The final moments were emotionally charged but to talk about the plot would be to spoil the delicious journey the show embarks on.
The Wednesday evening performance included BSL-interpretation by Clare Edwards. Edwards is a wonderful storyteller catching the energy of the show perfectly. Whilst the use of BSL is a fundamentally important way of ensuring accessibility to the Deaf community, the integrated performance added a rich layer of storytelling, proving that every piece of theatre can and should be accessible in this way.
Juliet & Romeo is at Bristol Old Vic until 26 September 2026
For more information or to book, visit: https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/juliet-romeo
Photography: Paul Blakemore
Cast and Creatives
Juliet – Emily Terndrup
Romeo – John Kendall
BSL-interpreter – Clare Edwards
Conceived and Directed by Ben Duke
Devised by – Solène Weinachter
Associate Artist – Raquel Meseguer Zafe and Pip Duke
Lighting Design – Jackie Shemesh
Set & Costume Design – James Perkins
Production Manager – Dave Sherman
Executive Producer – Daisy Drury
Producer – Emma Jane Evelyn
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