William Shakespeare’s genius has been an inspiration to so many generations.
Romeo and Juliet is one of the most powerful love stories ever told, and has been portrayed in many guises for over 400 years.
John Humphrey’s production of this iconic play initially was a little bewildering as to the message he wanted to convey, or the meaning of his interpretation. His presentation was an eclectic mix of accents, and the costumes were a mixture of the post war fifties through to the nineties. The decision to include a gender change for Friar Lawrence did not detract from the importance of the role, Charlie Bate was making her debut performance as the Friar.
His obvious success came with the presence of the lead role. Freddie Fox gave an almost quintessential performance as the love struck Romeo, his clarity and diction was irresistibly believable. He was complimented by Morfydd Clark who played Juliet. Together they portrayed young love, adolescent dissent and parental control from their two warring families. Their mature delivery transcended the age of the characters they were portraying.
Humour was depicted throughout the production by Rachel Lumberg who spoke with a very pronounced northern accent. She played Juliet’s caring, protective nurse and successfully injected a lighter note to the evening with her well timed comedic interspersions, much to the appreciation of the audience. The Capulet’s servant Peter (Joshua Miles) gave a memorable performance using a modern day leaf blower to disperse the after party food cartons and lager cans.
Hannah Clark’s set design was minimalistic, made up of a corrugated backdrop and a chipboard stage, something reminiscent of an abandon building, but the austerity of the set came to life when the stage was transformed into a sauna with the emergence of Mercutio (Simon Manyonda) and Benvolio (Scott Arthur) rising unexpectedly from beneath. It was also replicated in the last scene with the entrance of Romeo and Juliet depicting the demise of the tragic young lovers. Simon Manyonda who played Mercutio was professional throughout the play. His diction was clear and his passion was obvious.
The fight director, Bret Yount was successful with his interpretation of the fight scene where the beating of Balthasar (Joshua Miles) by Tybalt (Jonny Holden) and Paris (Andrew Leung) was violent and bloody and the choreography was well executed. Michael Hodgson who played a dishevelled looking Capulet attacked his daughter Juliet with convincing savagery, a timeless example of domestic abuse.
The final scene was disappointing, the lighting was subdued, the atmosphere was tense, and the appearance of the lovers was lugubrious. Instead of portraying an emotive tragedy, the moment was lost by the Capulet and Montague families standing motionless and impassive, as though frozen in time.
A diverse production, enjoyable in parts, but lacked the anticipated intensity associated with the mastery of The Bard.
Review by Susan Rigby image: Johan Persson