Murder, intrigue, bloody street fights, passionate love scenes and unbearable tragedy.

No, it's not Sarah and Jason's Coronation Street wedding - this is Shakespeare and ballet rolled into one unforgettable package.

This week's run of Northern Ballet Theatre's landmark production sees Chiaki Nagao's farewell performance as Juliet. Her exquisite performance as the lovestruck teenager is the bedrock for this gorgeous show.

Lez Brotherston's sumptuous sets and cat and bird' costumes bring the streets and palaces of Verona to life and the doomed romance, performed beautifully by Chiaki and Hironao Takahashi, (an endearing Romeo), is set against stunning set pieces.

Particularly memorable are the dramatic Capulet masked ball and Dance of the Knights, set to Prokofiev's rousing score, (or the music from The Apprentice, as someone in front of me pointed out), the thrilling sword fights and star-crossed lovers' balcony pas de deux. Watching the couple move effortlessly across the stage, entwined in passionate embrace, was like watching two swans gliding on water.

The playful scenes with Juliet and Nurse, (a delightful Ginnie Ray), were a joy, as were the comic turns from Romeo and friends gatecrashing the Capulet ball and fooling around with the Montague women. The humour soon turned to tragedy for Mercutio, beautifully played by Christopher Hinton-Lewis who had the audience laughing then blinking back tears in a matter of seconds.

Special mention to the delightful children from Shipley's DM Academy, caught in the crossfire between the warring Capulets and Montagues.

The company's original 1992 production was directed by NBT founder Christopher Gable and this revised version retains his visionary blend of ballet and drama. Without a single word spoken, the tragedy unfolded as if Shakespeare himself had choreographed it. Tension mounted throughout the three acts, with the menace largely personified by Steven Wheeler and Victoria Sibson as Lord and Lady Capulet.

Even though we knew what was coming, the tragic finale was as heartbreaking as it was stunning.

An unforgettable interpretation of a timeless story.

Runs until Saturday.