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:

Anne Morley-Priestman - 26 February 2013

 It would be nice to be able to say that Lynn Whitehead's production of Romeo and Juliet is a worthy successor to the other Shakespeare ones previously staged at this exquisite Georgian theatre. Alas, it's not.

Becca Gibbs' set looks half-finished (there's a bunch of black tabs to stage left which is highly distracting) and Heidi McEvoy-Swift's costumes may suggest a type of peasant community anywhere between Sicily and the Balkans struggling into the 20th century from the 19th, but they're not easy on the eye.

None of which would really matter unduly if the performances measured up to the text. It does become worrying when the smaller parts seem to be better played than more principal ones; some odd doubling of roles doesn't help. Moray Treadwell, who makes patriarch Capulet into a credible, if never particularly likeable, human-being is one example.

Rhys King's Paris is an interesting study of a prissy, precise young ...

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Latest User Review

E - 2 March 2013:

I have to say I'm surprised that this production has received such negative feedback! Although not the best version I have seen, it was certainly not the worst. Ali Watt's Mercutio was suburb - really livening up the dialogue. Beccy Wright's Nurse was also credible, as was Rhys King's performance. Richard Pryal was better suited to the Frair Lawrence character to that of Tybalt (who I personally found rigid and insipid). Biggest disappointment of the night came from Craig Vye, who provided an embarrassingly tedious and undeveloped Romeo. Hannah Edwards' portrayal of Juliet was certainly interesting - she managed to highlight Juliet's immaturity to an extent to which I haven't seen before. Overall- a good performance, hindered by the disappointing lead performances. Watts, King and Wright, however, brought mach needed spark to the somewhat vapid performance. May I also add that the young community actors/musicians did a marvelous job in their various supporting roles. ...

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