Romeo & Juliet

The story of Romeo & Juliet is refreshingly told in this production by going back to the fundamental elements of the play. The casting of the show is particularly well done. Romeo (Wolfgang Reed) and Juliet (Tiffany Wong) capture the youthful and exuberant nature of the characters perfectly. They are dreamy but not naive and they are passionate but not unthinking. Reed gives his Romeo a great deal of charm and Wong strikes a good balance between innocence and determination. The role of Nurse (Alison Whyte) is given incredible shape and importance. Whyte is splendid in her buoyancy and colourful approach to the role. She drives both the enthusiasm for young love and the ensuing drama of the tragic events. 

This setting and the costumes are very evocative and although there is a mediaeval ambience the casting of the Capulets as an Indian family is seamlessly incorporated into the show. This helps to add some glitz and glamour to the performance, including a fantastic Bollywood dance scene for the masked ball where Romeo and Juliet have their first encounter. The setting is completely focused on the notion of romance, and this is seen in the lighting and set design which is dominated by floral patterns and the appearance of a lush garden. The music is also a perfect accompaniment to the show and the original music for the song “Love is not Love”, which is derived from Shakespearean sonnets, is absolutely delightful. 

The scenes capturing the energy and mischievousness of the youth is made central to this performance. This is particularly made evident in the boisterous scenes where the young men easily break out their swords in both playful and lethal confrontations. Mercutio (Paul Morris) is central to this characterisation with his brazen and audacious attitude. This provides a great deal of the humour and action in the play. Morris gives his character a somewhat daring and volatile edge which draws the other male characters into his charismatic aura. This helps to render the tragic events as essentially inevitable rather than merely unfortunate. The characters leap across the stage with enormous energy making the scenes portraying public gatherings and spontaneous outbreaks of fighting very dynamic. While the romantic balcony scene is much more subdued, it has the same sense of energy and fire which is distilled into their equally fated passion.

This production provides a great opportunity to sink into the wonderful Shakespearean language and to experience the raw emotions of the story. This is all conducted in an incredibly picturesque setting which easily transports the audience into the rich and arousing world of this timeless tale.

Patricia Di Risio 

Photographer: Ben Fon