Bellini's The Capulets and the Montagues
ETO bring the passion, violence and intimacy of Shakespeare’s most iconic family rivalry to life in this brand-new Little Italy-inspired production.
Italian composer, Vincenzo Bellini’s The Capulets and the Montagues (I Capuleti e i Montecchi) is a gritty re-working of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Set in the 1970s, this brand-new production follows the lives of Romeo and Giulietta, young lovers living in a situation of violence, engrossed in intimate family drama and longing for love and escape.
For director Eloise Lally, the sense of violence as a means of survival that runs throughout the narrative of Bellini’s masterpiece evoked images of Italian American New York, the mafia, and the cinematic influence of Martin Scorsese.
We meet the Capulets at the end of their reign over the streets of New York, we see Romeo (played by mezzo-soprano Samantha Price) desperate to escape, and we watch as Giulietta (soprano Jessica Cale) hopes for a life away from the brutal masculinity that dominates her family, and the diner where she works.
Brought to life by talented young singers, a full orchestra and a vibrant and visceral design – including costumes that draw upon the remarkable images of the mafia captured by Sicilian photographer Letizia Battaglia – this is Romeo and Juliet as you’ve never been seen it before.
Sung in Italian with English captions.
Recommended 12yrs+
Pre-Show Talk
Learn more about the show with a free pre-show talk.