At the heart of The Australian Ballet’s 2026 season, John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet returns in all its sweeping, devastating beauty. The familiar story becomes an unforgettable experience, combining epic scale, breathtaking theatrical grandeur, and intimate emotional power that lingers long after the curtain falls.
Following a recent critically acclaimed season at the Sydney Opera House, the production will be presented at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre from 6 – 16 June, before playing at Brisbane’s Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Lyric Theatre from 15 – 22 August.
A cornerstone of The Australian Ballet’s history, John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet was first performed by the Company in 1974. More than a classic, it is a love story that draws audiences of all generations into the exhilaration of first love and the devastation of heartbreak, reminding us why this timeless tale continues to resonate so deeply.
Following its last staging in 2022, the production returns newly refreshed, with updated sets and choreography developed in close collaboration with Stuttgart Ballet to ensure Cranko’s cinematic storytelling continues to move audiences today.
“At its core, Romeo and Juliet is about love in its most vulnerable form. John Cranko’s choreography has an extraordinary ability to draw audiences into the inner lives of these characters, making their joy and heartbreak feel deeply personal,” said The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director David Hallberg.
“This ballet demands everything from the dancers, technically and emotionally. Seeing a new generation of artists step into these iconic roles is both a privilege and a powerful reminder of why this story continues to resonate,” added Hallberg.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest narrative ballets of the twentieth century, Cranko’s masterful adaptation pairs sweeping crowd scenes with some of ballet’s most emotionally charged pas de deux, balancing spectacle with raw human intimacy.
Set to Sergei Prokofiev’s masterful score and featuring Jürgen Rose’s richly detailed sets and costumes, the production conjures the world of Renaissance Verona, a world of wealth, rivalry and danger, where the innocence of first love threatens to unravel everything.
John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet is a production to fall head over heels for, whether discovering ballet for the first time or returning to a beloved classic.
Romeo and Juliet
Regent Theatre, 191 Collins Street, Melbourne
Season: 6 – 16 June 2026
Bookings: www.australianballet.com.au
Following the Melbourne season, Romeo and Juliet will be presented at Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre – QPAC from 15 August 2026.
Image: Callum Linnane and Sharni Spencer in The Australian Ballet’s 2022 production of Romeo And Juliet (Cranko) – photo by Daniel Boud