Skip navigation

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare with a contemporary twist

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare with a contemporary twist

The Cultural Affairs Bureau presents Romeo and Juliet, a contemporary reinvention of Shakespeare’s immortal tale created by Britain’s most popular choreographer, in a four-show run staged from 11 to 14 of July (Thursday to Sunday) at the Macao Cultural Centre’s Grand Auditorium.

Known and honoured for transforming classics into edgy productions, from The Swan Lake to The Nutcracker, Matthew Bourne has been a prolific ballet creator and choreographer for musicals, theatre and television since the 1980’s. Winner of Tony and Olivier awards, his work keeps changing perceptions, breaking boundaries in the world of dance.

Speaking straight at contemporary audiences, He launches in Romeo and Juliet a skilful cast on stage, reviving the well-known tragedy of two lovers who defy social conformism, risking everything to be together. Filled with young energy, displaying visually striking set and costume designs, this adaptation has garnered international acclaim since its premiere, back in 2019. Danced to Prokofiev’s music, the piece takes the audience into unexpected directions as Bourne transposed the city setting to the Verona Institute, a mental hospital for troubled youngsters. Only one of many twists that have become the British choreographer’s trademark.

Complementing the performance, bringing a closer insight on their work and training methods for this specific piece, some of the company’s dancers will be hosting a workshop on the 10th of July, open for all dance enthusiasts at the Macao Cultural Centre.

Tickets for Romeo and Julietwill be on sale at various prices, with several discounts available, from the 2nd of June (Sunday), at the Macao Ticketing Network, as well as the Damai and Maoyan platforms; whereas the workshop enrolment is processed through the Macao One Account (activity application). For further information and promotional offers, please visit www.icm.gov.mo and www.ccm.gov.mo. For enquiries contact +853 2840 0555.

View gallery


All information on this site is based on the official language of the Macao Special Administrative Region. The English version is the translation from the Chinese originals and is provided for reference only. If you find that some of the contents do not have an English version, please refer to the Traditional Chinese or Portuguese versions.