How would you describe your work as a choreographer?

“I believe my work is very human.”

Riccardo’s work and choreographic style is often inspired by paintings. There is an aesthetic element of composition to each ‘frame’ of movement, almost as if carefully crafted entirely from singular images or tableaus. He describes himself as approaching “choreography in an expanded way,” working not always in theatres or traditional performance spaces, but also with movement created for other visual arts, “operas, installations, even working with architects…dance that appears in a not so expected context.”

Paolo Mangiola

How did you arrive at the decision of creating a new narrative for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet?

Paolo Mangiola, ŻfinMalta’s artistic director, aims for each season to present some take on a classic title, by “calling on ‘edgy’ makers, with more radical practices to approach these works,” so that they are never simply a retelling, or what an audience may expect. Riccardo’s initial approach, when presented with the Shakespeare title was to question: “Why is the story of a classic important? What can I say as a choreographer, but more as a director, about something we already know. What can I say about a classic that is new, fresh, or even that can speak or comment on the present.”

The challenge, being that ‘a classic’ comes layered with established cultural significance and recognition, carrying with it a history of ways it has been interpreted artistically. Rising to this challenge, Riccardo chose to create a sequel to the well loved story we all know: a journey of redemption and reflection, as seen through the eyes of Lady Capulet.

What themes are at the heart of this work?

For Riccardo, ambiguity is the most important theatrical factor. ‘Requiem for Juliet’ achieves this by working closely with “images of symmetry and asymmetry, and the ambiguity this brings. It’s something we look for and are attracted to, both on the street and in the theatre. We are attracted to things we don’t fully understand.” The idea of a ‘mirror image’ is heavily referenced, representing the close similarities of these feuding families, a possible origin of their conflict. Riccardo “holds up a mirror to society, (both past and present) and the choices these characters have made.” The costume designs by Luke Azzopardi are one of the most important elements in this production that demonstrate this concept of duality: “contemporary but with some historical cuts. There is a decadence, yet also a decay.” 

Ironically, ‘choice’ is a main theme of the work, considering that the original play is one about lack of freewill and the workings of fate, where “two star crossed lovers” are ill fated even from the prologue, a story whose dramatic finale is merely “some consequence, yet hanging in the stars.” Riccardo’s use of retrograde story telling and reflection of past events, is a sharp contrast to Shakespeare’s use of the dramatic element of foreshadowing, providing yet another layer of duality to this reimagined sequel.

Who have you collaborated with on this production?

Riccardo enjoys working closely with composers and original scores, but also often uses music that already exists and is familiar to a wide audience, a choice that provides him with the challenge of redesigning something for a new context. Here, he asked composer Alessandro Baldessari to create “a world of darkness” to reflect the pain and emotional journey of Lady Capulet, which then transforms, enabling  her character to travel through and beyond her grief, arriving at a place of peace.

“My dramaturg Mauro Barbiero, was the one who made the suggestion to organise the work as a retrograde plot,” which begins from tragedy, and finishes with the concept and theme of choice. Juliet, originally a tragic protagonist, becomes a symbol of an opposing narrative, and through this choice of chronology, she is no longer a tragic figure. Luke Azzopardi has beautifully designed the set and costumes for this production, and together, they chose for the costumes to reflect a duality of both contemporary and historical references, with a definite shakespearean inspired aesthetic.

How did you feel about returning to Malta to create a full length work?

“It was very emotional coming back into a studio working environment, after two years without interacting with bodies.”

“It’s the challenge and the beauty of the job, as choreographers and as dance practitioners, the idea of exposing yourself, opening your own world to other people, both from the stage to the audience, and from artist to artist…You are exposing yourself completely: the complexity of your ideas, your biography. You can never separate yourself completely from your work, the personal and the professional… There is a challenge of opening these ideas to new bodies. All work speaks about ourselves: It’s always new, and it’s always scary.”