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:

10 June 2008

The weather gods smiled on this, the opening night of Timothy Sheader's first season as artistic director at Regent's Park. And if his own production of Romeo and Juliet is any indication of what we might expect, we could be in for some spectacular productions even if this opener misfires somewhat.

Sheader is clearly a man well versed in Hollywood and has drawn on several themes to illustrate the story of star-crossed lovers. He starts off with a replay of the Sharks and the Jets from West Side Story; then goes on to draw on the importance of honour and duty to one's family that we see in so many mafia movies; and has two set-piece choral numbers to complement Romeo and Juliet's wedding and deaths that even the most sentimental Hollywood director would have discarded as too schmaltzy.

There's very little indication that these are two families torn apart by hatred. Ben Joiner's Tybalt, with the ruffled shirt and debonair demeanour of s...

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Latest User Review

Suzie - 10 June 2008:

Costume lacks depth, set is average, direction is grande fromage. Claire Benedict is fantastic....

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