ARTS ROUND-UP
STAR CROSSED LOVERS RETURN HOME
Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo & Juliet began at the Royal Opera House this week. The performance hangs on its leads Carlos Acosta and Tamara Rojo, who play the star-crossed lovers with aplomb despite being more than twice their age. Acosta is to ballet what Tom Cruise is to cinema – a box-office certainty with enough charisma to carry a show. The pair performed at the O2 last summer – aficionados will be pleased to see them return to a less expansive venue. www.roh.org.uk, until 31 March.
THE RISE AND FALL OF JULIAN ASSANGE
The rise and fall of Julian Assange has been an story of pride and hubris, tragedy and comedy of almost Shakespearian proportions. It is fitting, then, that a play of his life will open next week at Theatre 503 in Battersea, some of which is staged in his prison cell. Playwright Ron Elisha says he merely curated the material, which was, fittingly for the story of the man behind Wikileaks, largely sourced from the public domain. www.theatre503.com, until 4 Feb.
TRAVELLING LIGHT TO HIT NATIONAL
New Nicholas Wright play Travelling Light will start its run next week. It looks at the life of a young East European boy around 1900 who becomes fascinated by the magic of film. Years later he is an acclaimed Hollywood director. Wright’s previous work includes Vincent in Brixton and The Reporter and this production at the National looks original enough to warrant checking out. www.nationaltheatre.org.uk, until 6 March.