Romeo and Juliet

Synopsis

The story of frustrated young (illegally young in modern terms) love and death and the vendetta between two families in a tight-knit Italian community. One of Shakespeare's most popular and enduring dramas it has also been re-done as film, ballet, musical (most notably "West Side Story") and ice spectacular!

Our Review:

23 January 2001

When it played in Stratford last year, Michael Boyd’s Romeo and Juliet quickly became known as the Plague production. This was because, taking as its cue, Mercutio’s curse of a “plague on both your houses”, and the fateful pestilence that prevents the delivery of Friar Lawrence’s letter to Romeo, it purported to show a Veronese populace living in dread of disease. It is somewhat of a surprise then to find that, apart from a scene where actors wear scarves to protect their faces, there are very few references to sickness.

Would that were true of the audience. On the night I attended, there appeared to be a visit by TB Sufferers’ Anonymous: a few discreet coughs one can cope with, a mass outbreak of constant hacking is disconcerting for everybody. Pity the poor actors in trying to compete with the background. Some of the tenderer scenes were literally inaudible – not a comfortable experience for anyone. It’s fair to say, however, that the principal characters might...

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Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com - 4 March 2001:

Overall this production is a refreshing change from past productions. Romeo is as most lovesick boys, a moody and sulky individual. Mr Tennant with his dark hair and eyes and slender frame fits the part well. He proves himself to be one of our most talented actors. His emotional breakdown in the Friar's cell is the most touching of this production. Alexandra Gilbraith does her best as Juliet but her voice, undeniably as one reviewer has stated, probably one of the sexiest any actress has,sat uncomfortably I felt with a supposed 14 year old, even though the director has supposedly tweaked the script with regard to ages. The reintroduction of Mercution and Tybalt cast a new slant on the play, but I felt was unnecessary. I am all for different interpretations on the text, as we saw in the Queen Mab speech with Adrian Schiller giving an excellent performance as Mercutio, but adding characters is a bit presumpious. As usual the action slowed down once Romeo was banished, but livened up again on his return. I would recommend the production to anyone, with David Tennant's Romeo and Adrian Schillers's Mercutio worth the ticket price alone. ...

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