Romeo and Juliet at the Opéra Bastille

“In fair Verona, where we lay our scene…” William Shakespeare’s legendary tale of star-crossed lovers will be transported to the French capital this spring. Romeo and Juliet, one of the Bard’s most performed plays, was first adapted to ballet in 1935, but perhaps one of the most celebrated versions is that of iconic dancer and choreographer Rudolf Nureyev, one-time director of the Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris.

Nureyev’s passionate, dramatic choreography is a perfect fit for Sergei Prokofiev’s timeless score and the opulent Italian Renaissance-inspired sets and lavish costumes by Ezio Frigerio.

A staple of the Paris Opera Ballet’s repertoire, Nureyev’s colourful, cinematographic production is romantic, but – as we all know – in this much-loved classic, the purest of young love cannot overcome hatred and rivalry, with tragic consequences. This successful staging of Romeo and Juliet is performed in three acts and will have a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it limited run on the grand stage of the Opéra Bastille.

Opéra Bastille: 19 March – 16 April, 7:30pm, plus Sunday matinee performances at 2:30pm. Tel: +33 1 71 25 24 23. Tickets €50-€154

From France Today magazine