The Making of Romeo and Juliet

Take a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Matthew Bourne's daring reimagining of Prokofiev's ballet about star-crossed lovers. Rather than double-casting his young dancers, Bourne has two separate casts training in tandem. Cordelia Braithwaite, who portrays Juliet, admits to already being covered in bruises. As the dancers—many making their professional debuts—twirl, leap, and glide through rehearsals in socks and tracksuits, 22-year-old associate choreographer Arielle Smith provides feedback to Bourne, who makes frequent on-the-spot changes. He explains why he’s set the story in a dystopian institute, replacing Verona and eliminating the extended Capulet family. His Romeo is inspired by Donald Trump’s son, with parents modeled after Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright’s characters in “House of Cards.” True to Bourne’s reputation for surprises, in this production (spoiler alert!) there are no spoken words.