Why new Romeo and Juliet ballet has Sydney audiences scrambling for tickets

Romeo and Juliet opens at the Opera House on Thursday night. Here’s what to expect.

The course of true love never did run smooth but it flies through the air in the latest production of Romeo and Juliet by The Australian Ballet.

The story of the star-crossed lovers in fair Verona will be danced by Sharni Spencer and Callum Linnane in the first production with John Cranko’s 1962 choreography to hit Sydney in 19 years.

Audience members should strap themselves in for an emotionally turbulent narrative of the originally Shakespeare’s play, including swordplay, the ecstasy of love, murder, and the tragedy of the play’s climax.

The show has proved so popular with audiences that extra tickets had been released.

Principal artist Callum Linnane said the show was in demand because of the Sergei Prokofiev music and because it was just a classic tale which everybody loved.

“It’s some of the most beautiful music in the classical ballet repertoire,” Mr Linnane said.

“And then of course the story, audiences love to go on the journey with Romeo and Juliet. “The same reason why people have flocked to see the play and the films for all these years…It’s a universal story that everyone can relate to.”

Romeo and Juliet opens on Thursday. Picture: Jonathan Ng

He said he liked playing the role of Romeo because it recreated the universal feeling of when someone falls in love for the first time.

“He will do anything for love. It’s wonderful to live that passion,” he said.

It was a similar story for Sharni Spencer who dances as Juliet in the ballet.

Sharni Spencer and Callum Linnane ahead of the opening Picture: Jonathan Ng

“The aspect I like most about her character is her inner strength and determination that only grows over the course of the story. She is courageous incredibly and strong willed to stay true to her own heart,” she said.

She said there were numerous physically demanding sequences in the ballet but said she believed the trickiest parts were played by Romeo.

The pas de trois are the trickiest part of the ballet, according to Sharni Spencer who plays Juliet. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“I think it is more physically demanding for Romeo than of Juliet,” she said.

“The Balcony pas de deux especially; he has a solo that leads straight into the pas de deux. “There is also a challenging pas de trios with Romeo Mercutio and Benvolio at the start of the Capulet ball, it is a technically tricky moment for the three characters and to keep it in unison is especially difficult.”

Ms Spencer said she believed the ballet was popular with audiences because it’s such a well known and loved story.

“I believe everyone can relate to it in one way or another,” she said.

“The music alone really tells the story and allows you to feel all the emotions of the story.

“It can be difficult to describe the weight of those emotions and feelings in words, but when you see the ballet, the choreography along with the Prokofiev score it really transports you to Verona.”