John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet – one of the oldest works in The Australian Ballet’s repertoire – returns to the stage after nearly two decades on the shelf. It’s a traditional take on the Bard’s classic tale, full of vividly rendered characters, colourful ensembles and an emotional climax that still packs a punch, no matter how familiar the story may be.

Sharni Spencer and Callum Linnane in The Australian Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet. Photo © Jeff Busby

Carrying the work, and occasionally dwarfing the action, is Sergei Prokofiev’s monumental score, superbly realised by Orchestra Victoria under conductor Jonathan Lo. Vast in both scale and structure, the composition’s varied instrumentation and progressively embellished motifs meticulously map the dramatic journey of the star-crossed lovers. With so much nuance, the sound tells half the story, leaving the dancers with the tall task of finding its embodied form.

Cranko’s choreography, which was first premiered by the Stuttgart Ballet in 1962, appreciates the immensity of the score and works hard to leverage its inherent drama. Ballroom scenes are excellently restrained, fight sequences are brisk and lively, and the many intimate moments shared between the young couple...