Juliet & Romeo – Bristol Old Vic

Lost Dog dance theatre company brings Juliet & Romeo to the Bristol Old Vic this September.

The production reimagines the much-loved story, exploring what happens if the star crossed lovers didn’t actually die.

The two-hander dance piece combines movement, text, drama, dance and music in this extension of the story.

Juliet and Romeo have grown up, got married and moved to Paris. They have now reached their 40s with one of them having reached the point of a midlife crisis.

Haunted by their earlier teenage selves, they decide to confront their struggles by putting on a performance about it.

Their therapist tells them it’s not a good idea, but they go ahead with it anyway.

The show was created by Ben Juke back in 2018. Since then, it’s been performed over 200 times across the UK, Europe, Canada, China and New Zealand.

This run stars Emily Terndrup as Juliet and John Kendall as Romeo.

Artistic Director of Lost Dog Dance, Ben Duke says: “I always hoped Shakespeare’s Juliet would wake up just a few moments earlier than she does; I know she never will but I can’t help hoping for it!  Baz Lurhman’s film came out in 1996 (30 years ago!) and made a huge impression on me.  The idea for the piece came from imagining an alternate version and, in turn, to encourage people to consider the nature of their own relationships.  I think we aren’t that honest about relationships and that too many stories focus on how relationships start rather than how they continue.”