As close to beautiful as any ballet production can get. I love Prokoviev's ballet, and Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn for good reason are considered the quintessential ballet partnership of the 20th century at least. The costumes are colourful, never overdone or ugly, the lighting is wonderfully delicate and while a little more abstract than one would expect for Romeo and Juliet the sets don't detract from the quality of the performance at all. The orchestral playing brings out the humour, tension and pathos of the score and drama wonderfully, matched perfectly by the conducting. The choreography is incredibly intricate and made to look easy when it really isn't.
It is danced impeccably by all involved. Desmond Doyle is evil personified as Tybalt, while David Blair and especially Anthony Dowell are perfect as Mercutio and Benvolio. But what really makes this Romeo and Juliet so watchable and re-watchable is the peerless performances and partnership of Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn. Nureyev's Romeo has sheer magnetism and a huge amount of charisma, dancing-wise not once does he put a foot wrong. Fonteyn gives a youthful and aching vulnerability to Juliet that is just heart-wrenching to watch.
Overall, a stunningly beautiful performance. You'd be hard pressed to find a performance of this ballet better than this one. 10/10 Bethany Cox
