News

Mayowa Ogunnaike and Patrick Webster cast in the company’s Romeo + Juliet

Award-winning, Birmingham-based Rosie Kay Dance Company is known for creating relevant and meaningful dance responding to contemporary society. Their latest offering, Romeo + Juliet, is a fresh re-imagining of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy set in the hot Birmingham summer of 2021.

The new production, which promises to be fierce and uncompromising, sees Trinity Laban alum Mayowa Ogunnaike dance the lead role of Juliet.

After graduating with a BA (Hons) Contemporary Dance in 2017 and award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Choreological Studies’, Mayowa became an Apprentice dancer with Phoenix Dance Theatre performing and touring in the original cast of Sharon Watson’s Windrush: Movement of The People.

Mayowa has since performed with Uchenna Dance Company performing and touring as the lead heroine role in the Vicki Igbokwe’s Hansel and Gretel, later joining ACE Dance and Music as a full-time company member, touring a revival of the double-bill Skin and leading various educational workshops and classes.

Mayowa comments –

“I am really excited to take on this challenging role and to work with such an amazing cast and choreographer. Especially in the midst of such a chaotic year, it’s wonderful to be working in a studio again with other artists, all of us gearing towards an epic show!”

Also joining the production is fellow Trinity Laban alum Patrick Webster who will play Ben. Patrick is part of the PEER programme at Studio Wayne McGregor and partaking in New Adventures 2020/21 cohort of their professional development programme, Overture.

“I feel so overjoyed and grateful to be involved with Rosie Kay’s production of Romeo + Juliet. This year has been testing for dance artists. I feel very lucky to have this unexpected light at the end of 2020. I am excited to pour my heart and soul into this work, to grow alongside the wonderful cast of performers, and to rediscover the joy of dancing with real people all over again.”

Romeo + Juliet will receive its world premiere at Birmingham Hippodrome Wednesday 17 March 2021.

Find out more about studying Dance at Trinity Laban.

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Image: Mayowa Ogunnaike (credit Stefano Padoan), Patrick Webster (credit Emma Holt)