Romeo and Juliet – The Questors Theatre

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers have met their untimely end more times than anyone could count. Yet, at Ealing’s Questors Theatre, Romeo and Juliet have found themselves in one of the finest productions of the tragedy I’ve had the pleasure of seeing.

Directed by Patrick Wilde, the production makes wonderfully easy work of Shakespearean English. The dialogue flows so naturally that, even at its most elaborate, you could almost forget you’re listening to words written more than four centuries ago.

Much of the credit belongs to the cast, whose performances are excellent across the board. The titular lovers, played by Luke Baverstock and Nerea Idigoras, are wonderfully matched, with Idigoras in particular seeming to have stepped straight out of Shakespeare’s imagination. Together, the pair make the familiar romance worth falling for all over again, despite our knowing perfectly well how it ends.

Wanda Duszynska deserves a special mention for her performance as the Nurse, too. Her comic timing is impeccable, although she never loses the affection at the heart of her relationship with Juliet. Rory Hobson’s Mercutio and Jamie King’s Benvolio are equally entertaining, and Hobson is another standout in an already impressive ensemble. Their scenes are a welcome reminder that, for all the tragedy awaiting Verona, Shakespeare knew how to get a laugh out of an audience. Indeed, the play’s early humour makes its eventual descent into catastrophe all the more painful.

The trouble in Verona, however, occasionally extends beyond the Montagues and Capulets. A rendition of “Sweet Caroline” introduces a rather unexpected modern touch to an otherwise fairly traditional production. There’s certainly room to play with Shakespeare, but if you’re going to bring Neil Diamond to Verona, you might as well commit to the invitation. With little else in the production to accompany the musical detour, the moment feels somewhat stranded.

The mysterious hooded figures are another curious addition. They appear throughout the action, although their purpose remains difficult to establish until the closing moments. Even then, their presence seems rather disproportionate to their contribution. For much of the performance, one wonders whether they’ve wandered into Verona from another play entirely.

If the cast is the production’s crowning glory, the set is perhaps its weakest link. Designed by Juliette Demoulin, it would be unfair to call it poor, but there’s a noticeable disparity between the standard of the performances and the world built around them. The actors inhabit Shakespeare’s characters so convincingly that the physical surroundings occasionally feel inadequate to the talent occupying them. At times, it’s almost as though an exceptional cast has wandered in from a grander production, their performances reaching beyond the world the set has created. It’s a peculiar sensation, although perhaps more a reflection of the cast’s extraordinary abilities than any serious failing of the production design.

Still, these are relatively minor grievances in an evening of genuinely excellent theatre. The cast’s command of Shakespeare’s language is a particular triumph, and the performances bring an infectious energy to a story whose ending has been common knowledge for centuries. There’s romance, comedy and, inevitably, enough tragedy to make one question the wisdom of falling in love in Verona in the first place.

Reviewer: Zandra Odetunde

Reviewed: 23rd October 2026

North West End UK Rating: