Scottish Ballet

Incredibly moving and enduringly relevant, the production was created for Scottish Ballet by Polish choreographer Krzysztof Pastor in 2008, and has since gained status as one of the company’s most iconic works.

Set in the 20th century, this passionate story of forbidden love unfolds in three dramatic acts. Beginning in a 1930s monochrome Italian metropolis, Pastor shows a world torn apart by conflict in which Romeo, a Montague and Juliet, a Capulet, meet, seek each other out and fall deeply in love. The second act moves to the sepia-toned 1950s in the wake of Mussolini’s Fascist dictatorship, Romeo and Juliet have to hide their forbidden love. Finally, the third act is dominated by the eerie blue light of television cameras that report 24/7 from the frontline of global wars and the secret couple go to dramatic lengths to keep their love eternal.