Ever wondered what might have happened if Romeo and Juliet hadn’t met an untimely end with a mix-up over poison? Ben Duke – artistic director of dance company Lost Dog – did, and the result is new show Juliet & Romeo, dropping into The Lowry for one date as part of a UK-wide tour. A two-hander with Solene Weinachter, the piece – subtitled “a guide to long life and happy marriage” – imagines the star-crossed lovers growing old together, or, at least, making it into middle age. Obsessed with youth and “what ifs”, we encounter them each on the brink of a mid-life crisis, their marriage in tatters, toddler daughter Sophie less a sticking plaster and more a sticking point, relationship counselling sessions well underway, and about to embark on one last-ditch attempt to regain what they once had. With a blend of dance and theatre, tragedy and comedy, Juliet & Romeo has been gathering critical acclaim (click here for a recent five star review in The Guardian), so that’s one happy ending, at least.

Tue 2 Oct, The Lowry, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ, Tel: 0843 208 6000, 8pm, £15, www.thelowry.com

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Tue 2 Oct
Words:
Sarah-Clare Conlon
Published on:
Mon 24 Sep 2018