“ROMEO et Juliette: De la Haine à l’Amour,” a French musical based on William Shakespeare’s play, “Romeo and Juliet,” will return to the Shenzhen Poly Theater with six shows between June 29 and July 2. Early-bird tickets are available on the official WeChat account “SZpolytheatre” from today until Friday. Everyone is eligible for a 5% discount, while VIP members of the theater can enjoy further discounts.

The musical premiered in Paris in 2001, featuring music and lyrics by Gérard Presgurvic. The production was directed and choreographed by Redha Benteifour, with costumes by Dominique Borg and settings by Petrika Ionesco. The producers were Gérard Louvin, GLEM, and Universal Music. Since its debut, the musical has entertained over 12 million audiences throughout Europe and Asia, and it has been translated into various languages, including Chinese, Flemish, Italian, Hungarian, Russian, English, German, Spanish, Romanian, Japanese, and Korean.

In Shenzhen, the show will be performed in French with Chinese subtitles. During the two-hour-plus show, audiences will hear 37 catchy songs containing elements of electronic, dance, rock, and other modern music styles. Previous audiences have been stunned by its dazzling stage set.

The plot differs from Shakespeare’s original play. For example, the nature of the lovers’ death is different, and new characters such as Death and the Poet appear for dramatic effect. Lady Capulet plays a much more significant role and has an affair with her servant in the Hungarian version.

The role of Tybalt has also changed slightly. He is portrayed as a more pitiful character due to his dark childhood and unrequited attraction to Juliet, which fill his heart with hatred.

Show dates: June 29 and July 2

Regular tickets: 180-1,080 yuan

Booking: WeChat account “SZpolytheatre”

Venue: Shenzhen Poly Theater, Nanshan District (深圳保利剧院)

Metro: Line 2 or 11 to Houhai Station (后海站), Exit E

(Debra Li)