Combining Bellini's beautiful composition and Shakespeare's enduring story of the "star-cross'd lovers", the English Touring Opera brought their superb new version of The Capulets & The Montagues to the Norwich Theatre stage.
Rather than the setting of Verona, the production instead transports us back to New York in what appears to be the 1950s, with the action largely revolving around meetings in Capellio's cafe, with the cafe owner being the father of Giulietta. In this version, Romeo isn't quite the sensitive 'lover-not-a-fighter' as he is often portrayed, and in fact is the most feared member of the Montagues, having recently murdered Capellio's son.
As one half of the doomed lovers, Jessica Cale (Giulietta) was outstanding. Alongside a belting, full-bodied voice, there was also a haunting quality to Cale's performance, which lent itself perfectly to this story of woe; never more so than when demonstrating her beautifully restrained, pianissimo vocals.
Samantha Price as Romeo also stood out, and not just because of her sharp suit. Her darker mezzo-soprano stylings were a wonderful counter/complement to Giulietta's more show-stopping vocals. Price's gripping performance at Giulietta's tomb also provides a heart-breaking moment to remember.
There was classy performances elsewhere, with Brenton Spiteri demonstrating some effortlessly smooth vocals in a highly emotive display, and the small ensemble producing some gorgeous sounds.
With such strong performers, it's easy to overlook other elements, but the staging and styling in Director Eloise Lally's production absolutely warrants high praise. The whole production was given a slight sepia tone, apart from our more colourful leads, and the piece had such a wonderful cinematic, film noir quality to it which I really appreciated.
The English Touring Opera's Spring season tour continues until 1 June. The Capulets & The Montagues heads back to East Anglia later this month, as the ETO plays at Snape Maltings Concert Hall in Suffolk - visit brittenpearsarts.org for details.
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