Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet was ballet but like you have never seen it before.

The lights in the Marlowe Theatre, in Canterbury, dimmed as we took our seats, the red silk curtain billowed to the ground to reveal Romeo and Juliet, splattered in blood, dead, but in each other’s arms at last.

Suddenly, the stage was filled with dancers and the audience began to take in Bourne's interpretation of the Shakespearean love story.

The set was incredible - white tiles covered the back of the stage, with two openings, one for boys, and one for girls.

White fences trapped the dancers inside the Verona Institute for disturbed young people.

Everything was white, the set was white, and the dancers wore white.

The inmates were desperate to be free but they were kept under the harsh rule of the security guard.

Their movements were so precise and uniform, portraying the tight regime they were forced to follow.

However, there were glimmers of hope when they were able to leap and be free while their captors' backs were turned.

Juliet’s distinctive flame-red hair helped her stand out from the rest.

It was especially heart breaking for her as the burly security guard easily dominated her and pull her away from her peers.

It was clear from the other dancers' anguish and nervous energy that he was inflicting unspeakable pain on her.

But then Senator and Mrs Montague delivered their son Romeo to the Verona Institute.

He was cheeky, with boundless energy and boyish charm.

At the institute disco, Romeo and Juliet locked eyes in the middle of the dance floor.

The inmates, dressed in personalised suits and cocktail dresses, danced a strict no-contact waltz but were flirty when the guards were turned.

But it was clear for Romeo and Juliet that there was no one else in the room.

After the ball the pair danced their first duet.

Their bodies fluidly intertwined, they sprung across the stage and perfectly embodied the soaring feeling of being in love.

Both were so impassioned they shared a seemingly never-ending kiss.

Their lips softly pressed against each other while they danced across the stage.

When their duet was finished both sat separately and beamed out into the audience - the look when all your cares in the world are forgotten because love has changed your life forever.

I won't spoil the ending for you but the storyline turns disturbing and gut-wrenchingly sad.

The inmates contort their bodies until they are at breaking point; they twist and snap representing their inner turmoil.

Romeo thrashes around his cell in desperation; he is the physical representation of a broken, lonely heart.

As the tale comes to its tragic end, the costumes and setting really enhances the experience.

The stark contrast of the lovers' bold red blood against the pure white of the staging only intensified the shock and sadness of the story.

When the show ended, I was crying, so was my friend Nikki who came with me, and we both wished the show would never end.

If I had time this week I would definitely be back for more.

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