Romeo and Juliet
Erica Whyman had decided on a contemporary transfer for this 400 year old tale of family feuding, love at first sight, and crossed star destiny, but it is a darker, starker version of the classic.....
In all my years of theatre-going I have never before made it to a staged production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Which is rather odd, as it remains one of the Bard's most popular and frequently performed plays. Perhaps it was its very familiarity that subconsciously caused me to shy away. However, I do remember Zeffirelli's film version making a considerable impression on me as a hormonally charged adolescent back in the summer of 1968. Baz Luhrmann seduced me again almost forty years later, when I was more than happy to see the Montague and Capulet action transferred to modern-day Californian, MTV-style.
Choosing to pop my live R&J cherry in the company of the Royal Shakespeare Company at Norwich's Theatre Royal came with the full knowledge that director Erica Whyman had also decided on a contemporary transfer for this 400 year old tale of family feuding, love at first sight, and crossed star destiny. But it is a darker, starker version of the classic tale that Whyman brings to the table, one that sees the brutal reality of today's knife-carrying culture used as a visual template to set against a deeply divided society.
As is often the case, these RSC touring productions attract many school and college parties, adding an extra layer of anticipatory frisson as we take our seats. Youth is encouraged, and for each of these performances four young local actors join the cast. Tonight it is Emma, Grace, Teagan and Tyronne from Ormiston Victory Academy that get to tread the boards.
The stage is sparse and industrial – a backdrop of weathered metal sheeting like the shell of an old gasometer tank, augmented by a 3m high steel box, open on two sides and resembling a trendy food stall from some Shoreditch side alley. Rotated through 180 degrees between scenes its exterior, interior, and roof each provide focal points for the action, including the wall beneath Juliet's balcony, Friar Laurence's herb garden, and the Capulet family crypt.
With such a simple set, and with costumes predominantly in shades of black and grey, it is very much the cast that is required to breathe the fire into the script, which they achieve with deftness and finesse. Bally Gill's impulsive and passionate Romeo is perfect against the romantic cusp-of-womanhood innocence of Juliet, performed persuasively by Karen Fishwick. Together, their idealised love comports as powerful and all-consuming. Ishia Bennison is clearly enjoying herself as Juliet's nurse, Beth Cordingly exudes authority and the voice of reason as Escalus, and Andrew French graciously provides composed and well-intended spiritual intervention as Father Laurence.
But it is Charlotte Josephine, taking on the challenging role of Mercutio, that steals the show. Her energy throughout is like a light sabre cutting through the darkness, and every scene in which she appears is infused with a dynamism that infects upon everyone sharing the stage. An inspired casting, and an even more inspired performance.
Erica Whyman has successfully updated Romeo and Juliet for a modern and youthful audience. The current escalation of knife crime may not today be the result of noble blood feuds, but to remind of the split-second futility of its consequences is still a chilling lesson in culture and consequence. It is most certainly not intended to sensationalise, nor to in any way promote or glorify gang culture. The multi-cultural approach to casting is nothing less than we should expect in modern theatre, and the consequent diversity on show successfully challenges any lingering pre-conceptions of race or gender. And it is slickly achieved in an entirely natural and non-quotient manner, for which Whyman should be applauded.
Judging by the enthusiasm displayed by tonight's audience, and the excited chatter from those leaving the auditorium on this freezing cold January evening, it would appear that Bill Shakespeare may well have another hit on his hands.
