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During the Athens Festival, the Ballet of Monte Carlo presented an ingenious version of Romeo and Juliet by Jean Christoff Maillot. Especially original in its conception was the scene of the death of the two young people, which came at the end of a rather choreographically stale third act. At this point in the play, the main point is the burial and lament which offer opportunities for mimicry rather than solutions based on movement, resulting in even an inspired choreography to flag. Luckily, the choreographer with the help of the stage designer saved the day. Juliet’s deathbed was presented in a triangular form and it is one of the three angles that is used as a knife by Romeo, reminding us that his death is due to the misunderstanding caused by the -false-death of his beloved.

Next we see Juliet, hanging herself using the red handkerchief that she takes out from Romeo’s shirt. For a second time, we see the condition of the double “exchange” of deaths between Romeo and Juliet, where each other’s action presupposes the repetition of the same event by the other lover.

The hatred between the two dynastic families is reminiscent of the tragedy “Antigone” by Sophocles. They share the attempts at reconciliation and peace, punishment for those responsible for the problems facing the state, the double suicide and finally the lack of offspring which means the end of the blood line. This line of thought is also supported by the way of the heroine’s demise, that of hanging herself. There are of course many differences as well: the Italian king, is not blind like the kings from Thebes (Oedipus and Kreon); those blind are the noble men who do not heed the warning of the (wise) prince and are led to destruction. The choice of characters belies not only the different function of the theatre in Shakespearean times but also the social hierarchy and structure. It also shows the artist’s sense of diplomacy, who ferociously criticises in the context of a political analysis, showing the real alliance poles between the monarch and his court. The deaths in Romeo and Juliet that create the close associations between Shakespeare and Sophocles are the death of Romeo’s mother and the consecutive deaths of the young couple (who had married secretly). These events occur without a real cause, through misunderstandings and mistakes which take away from the young man and woman the will to live. Romeo is still alive when his mother dies of grief. Juliet as well at the time of Romeo’s suicide. “Necrophany” (metaphorically and literally exile and deep sleep from a drug) which they choose inadvertently is what causes their trials.

Tragic irony is identical with mistake, with the misapprehension of the other, rather than the motives of the subject who is also subject of hubris as he or she does not recognise them. The image, the similarity, the glance which deceived by what it sees may lead to catastrophe. (Eurydice, the queen in “Antigone”, bears a name that is concerned with looking; the other’s glance that can destroy as in the case of Orpheus his beloved Eurydice). Sight as a metaphor for understanding/knowledge is achieved at the point of losing the possibility of the respective physical experience or when the subject is convinced (usually violently) of the partial nature of sight. The immense waste of the civil war is clearly and poignantly shown by the last image of the empty throne, the impossibility of accession. Thus the audience having survived the violent conflicts and the convincing mediation of chance and inevitability has leant and been taught. The deceptive imagery around which the story was revealed did not compromise the theatrical reality in which they participated psychologically. Maillot tried to renew the staging of the play without interpretive interference. What he did, mostly cleverly and effectively, was confined to staging solutions. Another example, apart from the death scene we have described at the beginning of the review, is the scene of the fight between the members of the two families and their friends. He choreographed it in slow motion more known as a film and which shocked the audience. A small modification of the story by Maillot appeared to do away with the father Capulet, thus leaving mother and nephew Tybalt alone, reminding us of a mafia family orphaned from its Capo.

The image of bad luck haunts the spectators as they hear names such as “Mercutio” whose name easily evokes the soul bearer Hermes (Mercury). “Benvolio” also dies despite his name meaning love. Paris, who epitomises envy will not get away, as in a historical revenge he will be struck down. Rome is the common substrate of the two main characters, as “Julia” (Juliet) is associated with many imperial families from the historic city where the young “Montague’s” name (Rome-o) also comes from.

P.S. The couple of the young lovers, not often seen to inspire dance performances in Greece, had been used in the spring presentation of “The forest of angels” by the group Theatrokinissi of Isidoros Sideris. Romeo and Juliet was one of the three couples in love to meet a tragic end (the other two were the lovers in the Blood Wedding and Erophile and Panaretos from the play by Hortanjis). The focus in that ballet was on the “saintification” of anybody who suffers or dies from love, particularly if suffering and death is brought about by the interference and opposition of the social environment. The choreographer, faithful to a viewpoint that considers Dancetheatre as a direct descendant of the ancient Chorika (choric parts of the ancient drama), he mixed large parts of speech and song demoting dance to a lesser participant. The “Greek Dancetheatre” and its representatives is a huge subject which will be the subject of a separate review.