Preserving The Passion: Northern Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet

Anna Jackman reviews Preserving The Passion, Leeds’ most recent celebration of local creatives, Northern Ballet, and their impressive performance history.

‘Preserving the Passion: Northern Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet’ opened on the 9th January and will be open till 23rd March 2024. This exhibition celebrates the ballet’s revival in March 2024 where it was performed at Leeds Grand Theatre from 8-16th March.

Stepping into the exhibition at the Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery is like moving into a small shrine to the beloved ballet. Taking visitors on a journey through the captivating history of this iconic production, the exhibition offers a peek into the dedication and resilience that has kept it alive for over three decades. The Northern Ballet was established in Manchester in 1969 as the Northern Dance Theatre, however, is now based at Quarry Hill in Leeds. The company donated its archive to the University of Leeds in 2021, which traces the history of the company from the foundation to the present, covering a period of 6 Artistic Directors, four locations in Manchester, Halifax, and Leeds, and three different company names. This production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was the Northern Ballet’s most successful box office hit. It was the Northern Ballet’s first full-length production, and premiered in February 1991, directed by the late Christopher Gable CBE, and choreographed by Massimo Moricone. The sets and costumes were designed by the award-winning theatre designer Lez Brotherston OBE. It toured extensively, both nationally and internationally, between 1991 and 2010 totalling over 500 performances.

The exhibition documents the production, evolution, and complete recreations of the production which survived arson in 2001 and devastating floods in 2015. Drawings, costumes, photographs, and film line the walls and vitrines each piece an ode to the history of the ballet, breathing life into the production’s evolution. The exhibition is on the left of the Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery and has a small and intimate feel. The lighting is quite subdued, adding to a moody tone. It would be nice for the vitrines and walls to be better lit to allow for better viewing for visitors. Whilst photographs, press, and newspaper clippings dominate the display, they are far from static, capturing the raw emotion and dynamic movement of the ballet, transporting the viewer back to the production.

This exhibition is an exciting precursor to the upcoming revival show of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ at the Grand Theatre, and will be showcased in Leeds until 23rd March, with the exhibition giving an interesting background to the tumultuous history of the show (tickets available here).

Words by Anna Jackman

(Image Credits: Northern Ballet)