Romeo & Juliet Archives - North West End UK

19Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Romeo & Juliet – Everyman Theatre

I’m a long-time fan of director Ellie Hurt – all the way back to The B Collective days – and was looking forward eagerly to her return to Liverpool Everyman with her contemporary take on Shakespeare, but I left with a heavy heart after this production which whilst showing glimpses of her talent, felt undermined by other factors which were perhaps beyond her control. With the cast performing minor ensemble roles in the opening brawl scene, primary roles soon come to the fore as Capulet (Joe Alessi) counsels nephew Tybalt (Milo McCarthy) whilst drawing upon the wisdom of Nurse (Ebony Feare) to communicate with daughter Juliet (Alicia Forde), whilst Benvolio (Kelise Gordon-Harrison) and Mercutio (Elliot Broadfoot) seek out their lovesick cousin Romeo (Zoe West), with the Friar (Eithne Brow...

3Aug

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Romeo & Juliet – Courtyard Theatre

My last brush with Romeo and Juliet was at Wilton’s Music Hall 3 years ago for Rachel Garnet’s excellent Starcrossed, which focussed on the fractious relationship between Mercutio and Tybalt, but added an erotic queer twist to their violent passions. It was an audacious, yet clever spin on Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy and a prime example of the Romeo and Juliet Industrial Complex. From Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 blockbusting film (Romeo + Juliet) to Arthur Laurents’ musical, West Side Story, audiences are highly familiar with twists, takes and remixes of the most pop play from in the Bard’s canon. Adding another layer to this theatrical mille-feuille is Romeo and Juliet: Out of Pocket, devised by Argentinian playwright Emiliano Dionisi and directed by Alonso Íñiguez. This boldly inventiv...

5May

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Romeo & Juliet – Shakespeare’s Globe

The Shakespeare Globe presents as part of the summer season. A new lively production of Romeo and Juliet, a play of young love and tragedy. This is one of Shakespeare’s controversial plays “which the age of a character is overtly stated, Juliet is just thirteen”. Romeo’s age is never mentioned but the sense is he is not much older than his Juliet played by Lola Shalam. It offers Shakespeare style, set within the wild west times of the 19th Century, yes cowboys. Don’t be fooled It has its scenes of tragedy, violence and misfortunate heartache. Set in Verona it revolves around a story of feuding families, the Montagues and the Capulet’s of which Romeo is a Montague and Juliet a Capulate. The two meet for the first time at a ‘coming out’ banquet for Juliet. Romeo with his friends Ben...

21Feb

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Romeo & Juliet – Hull New Theatre

What word describes a ballet that is more than just the choreography? “Drambalet” is the perfect description of the production I enjoyed on Thursday night, when the Varna International Ballet and Orchestra company brought its production of Romeo & Juliet to Hull. This most famous of William Shakespeare’s stories was brought to life by a musical score composed by Sergei Prokofiev, in 1935, who, according to historic reports, endeavoured to model his work on the idea of a drambalet - “a ballet rooted in dramatic storytelling”. And it’s to his rousing music, played live by an amazing orchestra, conducted by Peter Tuleshkov, that the most talented performers danced and acted out the tale of the star-crossed lovers. Set in Renaissance Verona, Italy, the huge backdrop throughout, mo...

26Oct

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Romeo & Juliet – Royal Exchange Theatre

In over 40 years of watching and reviewing theatre, I've seen a lot of Shakespeare, some very good, some indifferent and some very bad. The best productions manage to make even the most well known phrases in the canon sound both newly minted and instantly understandable, whilst giving the story a fresh context and relevance to the particular audience it seeks to entertain. The new production of Romeo & Juliet at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester does both of these and much more, ranking amongst the best I have seen in recent years at this lovely venue. Director Nicholai la Barrie firmly embeds his tale of the 'star crossed lovers' in the inner city streets of Manchester, his Verona does not feature the palazzo's and palaces of 16th century Italy instead it is the rain soaked ...

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Festival Theatre

20Sep

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Festival Theatre

On its opening night, Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre came alive with the revival of Matthew Bourne's "Romeo & Juliet." Often regarded as a master of family-friendly productions, Bourne's latest interpretation delves deeper into the suppressed passions simmering beneath the surface, offering a fresh perspective on Shakespeare's timeless tragedy. The stage is transformed into the Verona Institute, an institution akin to an asylum for troubled youth, masterfully designed by Lez Brotherston. Its stark, white surfaces, imposing barred doors, and staircases leading to nowhere symbolize the suffocating conformity that envelopes its inhabitants. Yet, within these confines, the characters, clad in white, strive to break free with subtle acts of rebellion—flicks of the head, twitches of the arm...

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Bradford Alhambra

13Sep

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Bradford Alhambra

This story of two star crossed lovers has been performed in every medium imaginable, so it was inevitable that our greatest choreographer Matthew Bourne would at some stage be lured by Sergei Prokofiev’s iconic ballet score. Be warned this is far from a straight scene by scene version of the Bard’s masterpiece, and Bourne’s interpretation sets this ageless tragedy in the near future. Romeo and Juliet are inmates in the Verona Institute, which might be a closed psychiatric unit for troubled teenagers, or a young offenders institute. That’s up to you, but it has echoes of The Handmaid’s Tale, although the battle between the inmates and the establishment that acts as a surrogate for Shakespeare’s familial conflict is more reminiscent of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Into this antisep...

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Hull New Theatre

26Jul

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Hull New Theatre

Whenever a ballet comes to town, Hull’s theatregoers go to town, ensuring full venues without fail. And Tuesday evening at the Hull New Theatre was no exception when Matthew Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet performed to a decent-sized crowd. I must have watched dozens of ballets during my reviewing career, yet I still can’t put a name to any of the dance steps. It’s the sheer spectacle of the genre that appeals to me - the costumes, music, make-up, stage settings and, of course, the dancers, all combine to create the perfect form … of entertainment. Luckily for me - and sparing my reviewing blushes - this very different production had none of the steps usually performed in a ballet. Also, away from the ballet norm, there wasn’t a whisper of a tutu or pink satin ballet pump. And, apart f...

22Jul

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Romeo & Juliet – Hull Truck Theatre

Sunglasses? Tick. Suncream? Tick. Raincoat? Tick. Cushion? Tick. Blanket? Tick. Was I packing for a staycation weekend? No, just for a trip to the theatre. Let me explain … Hull Truck Theatre’s production of Romeo & Juliet is being staged at the city’s open-air theatre, Stage@TheDock. Hull, on the east coast, can get every type of weather in one day, so the above were just some of the items we theatregoers were advised to carry with us for the performance on Wednesday afternoon. As the temperature hit the high 20s, this fascinating outdoor theatre began to fill up with people of all ages. We were all here for the most famous love story of all, William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. A jolly accordion player (Nicholas Goode) musically opened proceedings and he was quick...

Romeo & Juliet – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

24Jun

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Romeo & Juliet – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

On a wonderfully sunny evening, the weather gods behaved themselves, and we were treated to one of Shakespeare’s best loved plays. Postponed from last year’s season, director Kimberley Sykes’ version has been eagerly anticipated, with its new viewpoint on this popular play, we ask – did this re-assessment pay off? The set designed by Naomi Dawson, with its backdrop of trees, helps to soften the harsh set of scaffolding, rocks, and earth. Earth is one of Sykes’ themes and can be seen as a symbol of nurturing growth, but earth also throws its arms around death which is a major part of the plotline. When Sykes re-read the play, she was struck by a reference to an earthquake that had happened in Verona eleven years earlier. At the time of the earthquake, the Nurse (E...