Birmingham Hippodrome
Taking elements of contemporary, hip-hop, classical Indian and streetdance, Rosie Kay’s version of Shakespeare has a clamour of activity and ideas
This autumn brings a veritable harvest of Romeo and Juliets. Ben Duke’s witty reimagining for Lost Dog Dance returns in November, both the Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet will perform the well-known MacMillan version in October, when the Birmingham company will also present Edward Clug’s 2005 take, Radio and Juliet. But first off the bough is a new creation by Rosie Kay, originally envisaged in 2015, developed through stints working with local schools as well as with West Midlands Police and now, several lockdowns later, finally on stage.
With this long gestation and interrupted rehearsals, it’s perhaps not surprising that both the piece and the production still feel a little ragged. The opening scene in particular is a rush of activity without clarity of purpose: an accumulation of nine dancers that, with its parries, clusters and scatterings, skilfully suggests the unstable, disputed nature of their terrain, yet neglects to establish the characters before sending them into action. We recognise them as rival gangs in an urban setting – pylons and satellites frame the stage, and the stances as much as the clothing are notably “street” – but we’re left doubtful about who is who, or what drives their fierce gesticulations.