The Royal Ballet
Kevin O'Hare CBE
Director
Dame Ninette de Valois OM CH DBE
Founder
Sir Frederick Ashton OM CH CBE
Founder Choreographer
Constant Lambert
Founder Music Director
Dame Margot Fonteyn DBE
Prima Ballerina Assoluta
Romeo and Juliet
Ballet in Three Acts
Saturday 3 May 2025 7pm
The 555th performance by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House.
Please note that casting is subject to change up until the start of the performance. Please continue to check the website for the most up-to-date information.
Approximate Timings
The performance lasts approximately 2 hours 55 minutes, including two intervals
Act I
60 minutes
Interval
20 minutes
Act II
35 minutes
Interval
20 minutes
Act III
40 minutes
Credits
- Choreography
Kenneth MacMillan
- Music
Sergey Prokofiev
- Conductor
Martin Georgiev
- Designer
Nicholas Georgiadis
- Lighting designer
John B. Read
- Rehearsal Director
Christopher Saunders
- Staging and Artistic Supervisor for the MacMillan Estate
Laura Morera
- Senior Répétiteurs
Gary Avis
Deirdre Chapman
Samantha Raine
Samira Saidi
- Principal Coaching
Alexander Agadzhanov
Leanne Benjamin
Darcey Bussell
Stuart Cassidy
Alessandra Ferri
Edward Watson
Cast
- Juliet
Anna Rose O'Sullivan
replaces Yasmine Naghdi
- Romeo
Matthew Ball
- Mercutio
Luca Acri
- Tybalt
Ryoichi Hirano
- Benvolio
Leo Dixon
- Paris
Nicol Edmonds
- Lord Capulet
Christopher Saunders
- Lady Capulet
Elizabeth McGorian
- Escalus Prince of Verona
Harris Bell
- Rosaline
Christina Arestis
- Nurse
Kristen McNally
- Friar Laurence
Bennet Gartside
- Lord Montague
Bennet Gartside
- Lady Montague
Hannah Grennell
- Juliet’s Friends
Madison Bailey
Mica Bradbury
Ashley Dean
Chisato Katsura
Leticia Stock
Amelia Townsend
- Three Harlots
Nadia Mullova-Barley
Charlotte Tonkinson
Isabella Gasparini
- Mandolin Dancers
Joonhyuk Jun
Harry Churches
Téo Dubreuil
Taisuke Nakao
Giacomo Rovero
Francisco Serrano
- Ballroom Guests and Townspeople
Artists of The Royal Ballet
- Actors
Kian Berry
Martial Blaise
Jean-Pierre Blanchard
Maddie Brennan
Lucien Campbell
Angelo Coassin
Peter Cooney
Jordan Cork
Ruth Cross
Rain de Rye Barrett
Chris Edgerley
Kachaan Ellis
Simon Jaymes
Bless Klepcharek
Damien Lee Stirk
Clare Lumley
Fiona Marshall
Kim Mendez
Laurence Pasqualini
Alejandro Postigo
Georgia Reid-Hamilton
Barbara Rhodes
Sebastian Rose
Julia Ruiz Fernandez
Olga Sabadoch
Jack Sears
Suleiman Suleiman
Daniel Swan
Victoria Taylor
Peter Taylor
Jeremy Wallis
Tim Webster
Students and Junior Associates of The Royal Ballet School appear by kind permission of the Artistic Director, Iain Mackay
Music
- Orchestra
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
- Concert Master
Sergey Levitin
THE ROYAL BALLET
- Director
Kevin O’Hare CBE
- Music Director
Koen Kessels
- Resident Choreographer
Sir Wayne McGregor CBE
- Artistic Associate
Christopher Wheeldon OBE
- Administrative Director
Heather Baxter
- Rehearsal Director
Christopher Saunders
- Clinical Director Ballet Healthcare
Shane Kelly
Synopsis
The Capulets and Montagues are sworn enemies. A fight breaks out in the market place led by Romeo Montague and his friends Mercutio and Benvolio against Tybalt, Lord Capulet’s nephew, and other members of the Capulet house. The Prince of Verona commands the families to end their feud. Lord and Lady Capulet introduce their daughter Juliet to Paris, a nobleman they intend her to marry. In disguise, Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio sneak into a ball at the Capulets’ house. Romeo and Juliet are taken with each other. Later, when Juliet is on her balcony, Romeo appears below and they profess their love.
INTERVAL
Juliet’s nurse delivers a letter to Romeo in which Juliet says she will be his wife. The lovers are secretly married by Friar Laurence. In the market place, Tybalt fights Mercutio and kills him. Romeo avenges the death of his friend and is punished with immediate exile from Verona.
INTERVAL
Secretly, Romeo has been with Juliet through the night. In the morning, Romeo embraces Juliet and escapes as her parents enter with Paris. Juliet refuses to marry Paris, and her parents threaten to disown her. Juliet rushes to beg Friar Laurence’s help. He gives her a potion that will make her fall temporarily into a deathlike sleep. Juliet agrees to marry Paris but the next morning her parents find her apparently lifeless. Romeo, who has not received the Friar’s warning message about the subterfuge, returns to Verona at the news of Juliet’s death. In the Capulet tomb, he believes Juliet to be dead and drinks poison. Juliet awakes, finds Romeo dead, and stabs herself.
Guidance
Parental guidance recommended
This performance contains themes of violence and death.
Language
Some performances also include Captions that give more details about the sound.
Generous support from
Exceptional philanthropic support from Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust
Generous philanthropic support from John Burns CBE and Susan Burns OBE, Jonathan Caplan, Philipp Freise, Kenneth and Susan Green, Alan and Caroline Howard, Doug and Ceri King, Stephen and Dina Lucas, Lindsay and Sarah Tomlinson, The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund and Francesca Storey-Harris in memory Of Judy Harris
The 2024/25 Royal Ballet Season generously supported by Aud Jebsen
The role of Juliet is supported by Richard Baker, Fiona and Simon Thomas
Production generously sponsored by Van Cleef & Arpels
Further information
DIGITAL CAST SHEETS
We are working hard on our commitment towards becoming more sustainable and are striving for our net zero goal of 2035. By using digital cast sheets and e-tickets, we have reduced our paper consumption by over five tonnes per year. You can view our digital cast sheets on a computer, tablet or smartphone by scanning the QR codes displayed around the building using your smartphone’s camera app. They are also displayed on screens outside the auditoria. Cast sheets are generously supported by the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund.
GUIDELINES
Photography and filming are prohibited during performances in any of our auditoriums. You are welcome to take pictures throughout the rest of the building and before performances and share them with us through social media. Commercial photography and filming must be agreed in advance with our press team.
Larger bags and backpacks need to be check into our complimentary cloakrooms. Unattended bags may be removed.
Please do not place any personal belongings on the ledges in front of you. Mobile phones should be turned off and stored away safely during performances.
Only bottled water and ice cream purchased from the premises can be taken into the auditorium.
If you arrive late to the auditorium or leave during a performance, you will not be allowed back to your seat until the interval or a suitable break.
Smoking and vaping are not permitted anywhere on the premises.
The safety of our visitors, staff and artists is our priority. To help us provide a comfortable experience for everyone, please be mindful of others and their personal space.
Our staff are committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect and we ask that you show them and your fellow audience members respect too. We adopt a zero-tolerance approach in response to anyone who interacts with our staff or with fellow audience members in an intimidating, aggressive or threatening manner.
Support Us
We rely on your support to make world-class ballet and opera for everyone. With your donations we can ensure a bright future for the Royal Ballet and Opera, bringing communities together and inspiring future generations up and down the country.
For people, not profit.
rbo.org.uk/donate
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales (Company number 480523) Charity Registered (Number 211775)