Reader Reviews
Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | I wasn't blown away by this performance. Romeo and Juliet presented a pleasant enough image of teen infatuation, but they were entirely lacking in any sexual chemistry and I found it difficult to believe that theirs was a love worth dying for. There were some excellent performances in the supporting cast though. Ian Redford in particular gave an excepetional performance as Capulet. Scene 3.5 when he works himself up into a fury over Juliet's refusal to marry Paris was the highlight of the evening, and even Kendrick managed to shine somewhat in this scene as the desperately helpless Juliet. It was Redford that fuelled the momentum of the scene though. On the whole an average production, but with moments of pure brilliance here and there. - Katie | 29 Aug 09 |
| A very dissapointing performance in general, with the exception of Nurse and possibly Mercutio. In Romeo (who gave the constant appearance of walking barefoot on hot sand) it was a crime to cast good looks over talent. - Jeff | 12 Aug 09 |
| This production has to be ranked alongside the all female cast of The Taming of the Shrew for its lack of passion and entertainment. Several of the cast appear to have come from the Royal School of Lisping, their collective utterances being, quite often, unintelligible. Quite frankly if Juliet had offered to become my lover I would have visited Smiths to get a two for one book offer. Romeo lacked any power of either voice or character. I have never seen an audience at The Globe so uninvolved, bored even. Bring back Mark RYLANCE, please. - Phil Bottomer | 06 Jul 09 |
| I thought Mercutio and the Nurse were standouts here, but Romeo was annoying and the Friar, quite frankly, was awful. I've got tickets to the rest of the Globe season and I hope they're going to be much better than this forgettable evening. - addicted to theatre | 30 Jun 09 |
| A fairly traditional (and long) version in Elizabethan dress but with a little more heightening of the sexual innuendos than usual. Very strong cast of 'adult'characters and a wonderfully dreamy 'lover' Romeo. Juliet looked about 10 and couldn't cope with the verse, also totally lacking in appropriate emotion with a strange habit of gliding about as though on wheels under her gown. Mercutio a bit disappointing, particularly the 'Queen Mab' speech. Great a capella singing from chorus and nice cossies. All in all, felt distinctly unmoved by one of the greatest tragedies in the canon. - Sarah | 01 May 09 |
| It's traditional dress, and it says so on the flyer. It's directed by the same director who gave us a grat Lear last summer (also in traditional dress). - Dominic | 28 Feb 09 |
| They have stopped telling people again whether it is a traditional dress performance or a "modern" one. After such a disasterous modern one a few years ago that the audience refused to go back the next year without knowing, they realised that the audience didnt actually have to visit and started saying what style it would be - customer relations seem to have lapsed into arrogance again. - Tom | 08 Feb 09 |
