3 things you won’t expect from Romeo and Juliet at the Peacock Theatre

Imagine a concoction of classical ballet, modern-day hip hop and mind-blowing acrobatics all fused into one show, yes, this is happening right now…. Romeo and Juliet at the Peacock Theatre.

Totally awesome if I say so myself! This stage adaptation of Romeo and Juliet is a modern remaking of one of the greatest love stories of all time, still maintaining its timeless, dramatic tale at its core, yet bolstered up with an impressive lighting set, a fusion of energetic and passionate moves together with the subtle beauty of classical dance.

Here are a few things you’d least expect to experience when watching Shakespeare’s Good Ol’ Romeo and Juliet…

1. The music
So, at a classical Romeo and Juliet performance, what you can most likely expect is no music, perhaps a fiddle or at most, a few melodic songs that gently express the nuances and emotion of what’s going on. Well, this adaptation is great (for completely different reasons), you can look forward to a soundtrack featuring Vivaldi, Jay Z, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and David Guetta.

2. The lighting
Travel back to Shakespeare’s Globe in the 1600s and you’d be sat in an outdoor (probably freezing) setting with natural lighting from a few (hazardous) candles, now time travel forward a century or five, and you’re wowed by the spectacular light show from start to finish. The lighting raises the bar and pushes this show into a league of its own, truly complimenting the intensity of the story and the upbeat, yet emotional nature of the dance.

3. A few shirtless men
Ooh la la! Yes, it’s true! The show features plenty of funny flesh-flashing, butt-shaking, high-fiving, fist-bumping men. Rather proactive and sensual if you ask me, but super for modernising the show and making it more relevant to a wider audience, who not only appreciate the uber-classics but also the contemporary recitals.

In short, this is not Romeo and Juliet as you know it. You have to go!

Romeo and Juliet is now showing at the Peacock Theatre until 29 March, don’t miss out.