A Ballet in Three Acts After William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet

In Verona, the Montagues and Capulets are locked in a bitter feud. But this does not stop the young members of these rival families – Romeo and Juliet – from falling in love and secretly marrying. When Juliet’s family pledges her to another man, she fakes her death and sends word to Romeo of her plan. But the message never reaches him. Believing Juliet is truly gone, Romeo takes his life. When Juliet awakens to find her beloved dead, she follows his tragic example. 

• Romeo and Juliet bookended the National Ballet’s tenure at Toronto’s O’Keefe Centre (now Meridian Hall) as both the first, in 1964, and final ballet it performed there, in 2006.
   
• The company toured Romeo and Juliet extensively in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with stops across Canada and in Washington D.C., Mexico City and at Expo ‘70 in Japan.  
   
• Jürgen Rose’s original costumes were destroyed in a fire in 1973. This revival features designs by Canada’s Susan Benson, who reimagined the production in 1995.
   
• Former Artistic Director Reid Anderson developed a close connection with Cranko when he was a dancer at Stuttgart Ballet and went on to introduce more of his productions, including Onegin, to the National Ballet repertoire, where they became favourites for artists and audiences alike.

75th Anniversary Season Opening Day 
 
Share the Magic
 
To mark the opening of the 75th anniversary season, the first performance of this milestone year will be a Share the Magic matinee performance where we will welcome over 1,600 community members experiencing challenging circumstances to see a National Ballet performance for free. These free performances are an invitation and our way of saying The National Ballet of Canada belongs to everyone. We are committed to aligning our mission with access and want audiences across the city to feel welcomed into what we do, to feel the joy of ballet without barriers.
October 31, 2026 at 2:00 pm
 
Since its inception in 1986, Share the Magic has brought the joy of dance to nearly 120,000 audience members at no cost through partnerships with social service and health support agencies throughout the GTA. This season, the National Ballet will also present a Share the Magic performance of The Nutcracker. 
 
75th Anniversary Season – Gala Opening Romeo and Juliet
 
Following the Share the Magic matinee, we present a special gala opening night performance of Romeo and Juliet, in honour of the enduring legacy and bold ambition of the National Ballet in a glittering evening of dance, memories and celebration. 
 
Save the Date: October 31, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Tickets on sale September 22, 2026.

Born in South Africa, John Cranko danced with The Royal Ballet and created some of the 20th century’s most enduring story ballets. Works such as Romeo and Juliet, Onegin and Taming of the Shrew are renowned for their rich characterization, drama and musicality and continue to be performed by leading companies worldwide. 

Completed in 1935, Sergei Prokofiev’s score is regarded as one of ballet’s finest. Its sections are named for key scenes, such as the iconic “Dance of the Knights,” while distinctive leitmotifs evoke the nuances of Shakespeare’s characters. The music’s emotional range mirrors the story, moving from youthful passion to profound loss.

Choreography:
John Cranko
A Ballet in Three Acts After William Shakespeare
© Reid Anderson-Graefe

Music:
Sergei Prokofiev

Set and Costume Design:
Susan Benson

Lighting Design:
Robert Thomson

Reproduced and Staged by:
Reid Anderson and Yseult Lendvai

Reproduced from Benesh Notation by:
Jane Bourne (1993)

World Premiere: Stuttgart Ballet, Stuttgart, Germany, December 2, 1962

The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: O’Keefe Centre (now Meridian Hall), Toronto, February 8, 1995 

This production of Romeo and Juliet entered the repertoire of The National Ballet of Canada on February 8, 1995 and was totally underwritten by Walter Carsen, O.C.

The Romeo and Juliet revitalization (2027) is supported by production underwriters Mary & John Crocker. 

Tickets can be purchased online at national.ballet.ca or over the phone by calling 416 (1 866) 345 9595. If you have questions about specific seating locations or need accessible seating, our Audience and Donor Services team are happy to help.

Main Season Seating Map

Tickets start at $66. Detailed pricing for each price zone is available at time of purchase.

When picking up tickets at the Box Office, you will be asked to provide photo ID and the credit card of purchase to receive your tickets. Please ensure you arrive in plenty of time to collect your tickets prior to the start of the performance.

• If you have provided us with your email address, you will receive a performance reminder two days before your performance date. This will include important information about the performance, as well as traffic alerts if there are road or TTC closures.
• You will also receive Hope’s Insights, an email from Artistic Director Hope Muir providing an in-depth look at the ballet or programme you are attending.
• If you haven’t already, sign up now for Ballet News to be the first to receive all the latest news and videos, including special offers, casting and dancer news!

Please note, the box office at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is open during The National Ballet of Canada’s performance season two hours prior to the performance start time. Doors to the Four Seasons Centre are open one hour prior to the performance. Our phone lines remain open for all your ticketing needs and tickets can be purchased online anytime at your convenience.

Call Centre
Monday: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Tuesday: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Wednesday: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Thursday: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Friday: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

Gift Certificates are available in any denomination. Call (1 866) 416 345 9595.

A limited number of Rush tickets are available for up to 50% at 11:00 am on the day of the performance for select performances, subject to availability. Rush tickets are limited to two per person and can be purchased online with the promo code RUSH, or over the phone at 416 (1 866) 345 9595. Excludes The Nutcracker and the Gala.

Please Note: Rush tickets can also be purchased in person at the Box Office at the Four Seasons Centre, subject to availability. The Box Office is open two hours before the performance.

Standing Room tickets are $12 and go on sale at 11:00 am on the day of the performance. For 11:00 am performances on December 24 and 31, tickets will go on sale at 9:00 am. Standing Room tickets can now be purchased online with the promo code STAND, or over the phone at 416 (1 866) 345 9595. Subject to availability and limited to 2 per person. Tickets must be collected in person at the Box Office counter, open 2 hours before the performance. Excludes the Gala.

Please Note: Standing Room tickets can also be purchased in person at the Box Office at the Four Seasons Centre, subject to availability. The Box Office is open 2 hours before the performance.

Tips for Standing Room ticket holders:

• Please wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to stand for the duration of the performance
• In consideration of other audience members, please stand as close to the railing as possible and avoid excessive movement during the performance
• Not recommended for children
• Portable sitting devices and sitting on the railings is not permitted
• Each of the locations have a hook and a leaning rail, we recommend patrons be a minimum of 5’ height to view the performance clearly
• Please note, the Four Seasons Centre is not responsible for lost or stolen items

Toronto Arts Workers can access $45 Rush Tickets at 11:00 am the day of the performance, subject to availability, with promo code ARTSWORKERRUSH (excluding The Nutcracker and Gala). Tickets must be picked up in person at the Box Office, open 2 hours before the performance. Arts Workers must present valid Arts Worker ID when collecting tickets.

Please Note: Toronto Arts Workers tickets can also be purchased in person at the Box Office at the Four Seasons Centre, subject to availability. The Box Office is open 2 hours before the performance.

All performances take place at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, located at 145 Queen Street West, Toronto, on the southeast corner of University Avenue and Queen Street West.

The main theatre entrance can be found on the southeast corner of University Avenue and Queen Street West. There are direct entrances to the venue from Osgoode Subway Station and the underground parking garage.

Parking

Underground parking is available at the Four Seasons Centre for approximately 200 vehicles. The entrance is located on York Street, south of Queen Street West.

Additional parking is located just steps away at the GREEN P lot under Nathan Phillips Square. For more information on this and other lots in the vicinity, visit GreenP.com.

The designated drop-off area is located on the east side of University Avenue between Queen and Richmond Streets.

By Public Transit

TTC
Four Seasons Centre is directly accessible from Osgoode Subway station on Yonge-University Line 1. The 501 Queen streetcar stops outside the building at the corner of University Avenue. Visit ttc.ca for more information.

GO Transit
From Union Station, it's a 10-minute walk to the theatre, heading north along York Street to Queen Street West and west to University Avenue. Alternatively, you can take the subway from Union to Osgoode Station. Visit GoTransit.com for more information.

Yes. The National Ballet of Canada is committed to honouring its performance schedule and all performances proceed as scheduled, despite weather conditions and traffic delays.

If travelling to the theatre in inclement weather, please allow plenty of extra time and check the TTC or GO Transit for delays and updates.

The National Ballet regrets that tickets not used due to inclement weather, traffic delays or TTC closures cannot be refunded or exchanged.

For an up-to-date list of transit delays, please visit please ttc.ca or gotransit.ca.

All sales are final with no refunds. However, let us know up to 24 hours prior to a performance and we can exchange your tickets at a cost of $10 per ticket (exchanges are FREE for Subscribers).

Contact Audience and Donor Services at 416 (1 866) 345 9595 and provide your order number, which can be found on the right side of your printed or digital ticket, or on your order confirmation. Tickets may be exchanged up to 24 hours before your original performance date.

Subscribers are welcome to exchange tickets throughout the season free of charge.

Single ticket buyers can exchange their tickets, subject to a $10 per ticket exchange fee. Requests must be received 24 hours prior to the performance. Requests to upgrade to a different price zone will be charged at the time of the exchange.

Become a Subscriber

If you’re unable to attend your performance or exchange to an alternate date, you can donate back your tickets and get a tax receipt in the full amount. We are happy to issue a tax receipt for any value over $20. Contact Audience and Donor Services at 416 (1 866) 345 9595.

Yes but for the sake of our dancers and other audience members, latecomers will be seated only during a suitable break in the performance, so please be sure to give yourself enough time to get to the theatre.

Ticket prices are all inclusive and include a $2.00 Creative Capital Fund fee, 13% HST, $4.50 for Capital Improvement Fund and a $0.25 digital fee.

We welcome children who are old enough to enjoy The National Ballet of Canada's performances, however some of our productions may not be enjoyable for young children.

A child is considered aged two to 13, however we recommend that ballet performances are not suitable for most children under five. Babes in arms, or children under two years of age will not be admitted to performances.

We encourage questions with regard to the suitability of a performance prior to purchasing a ticket for a child and our Audience and Donor Services staff would be happy to advise you. Please call us at 416 (1 866) 345 9595 or email info@national.ballet.ca.

All patrons, including children, must have a ticket to enter the theatre; children must be seated beside the accompanying adult.

A child must be able to sit quietly and not disrupt the performance and other patrons.

Out of respect to our artists and other audience members, re-entry to the auditorium during the performance is not permitted. Please remain in your seat until the intermission or the end of the performance. If you must leave the auditorium during the performance, you can watch the performance on the TV screen in the Richard Bradshaw Auditorium and return to your seat after the intermission.

No! The National Ballet of Canada is the only official seller of National Ballet tickets and we do not authorize the selling of our tickets through third party vendors.

For all National Ballet performances, the only official website for tickets is national.ballet.ca. Customers will never be directed to another website to purchase tickets.

If you purchase at any other vendor, your tickets may be counterfeit. The National Ballet is not responsible for tickets purchased through any other means than our website or box office.

For the safety of our artists and the enjoyment of your fellow audience members, the capture of photographs and video during the performance is not permitted. However, you are welcome to take photographs of the curtain call.