Romeo and Juliet
New season. New actors. Old play. The Birmingham Rep has kicked off their winter season with Romeo and Juliet. This provides a challenge for any company, for the play is instantly familiar to so many people. Thousands have been bored to death in school rooms and lecture theatres by the story of two star crossed lovers. Millions have seen musical and film adaptations. At anyone time there are at least three versions playing in theatres across the country. There's been Romeo and Juliet in space, Romeo and Juliet on the streets of New York, Romeo and Juliet in street gangs and so on. For this production director Bill Bryden has opted to put on an original, unadulterated performance of the tale.
Well almost, for the first five minutes the audience is treated to the company dressed in tracksuits and limbering up for the main performance. A comic touch which seems strangely out of place and one which is guaranteed to cause consternation amongst school parties in any audience.
The staging for this production is sparse. Constructed from untreated pine the audience is treated to a two tier stage surrounded by chairs. The top level consists of Juliet's bedroom, the bottom level serves variously as street, dining hall and crypt. There's no finery to distract the audience from the actors.
Unfortunately distractions from the cast, particularly Jamie Doyle's Romeo, would be quite welcome during this production. Doyle, a fresh faced actor straight out of RADA, at least looks the part of a teenage lover. However, his limited experience means that he is unable to make a strong and dynamic lead, essential in any production of Romeo and Juliet. Indeed most audiences will find themselves straining to hear his dialogue. Carla Henry provides an entirely adequate Juliet, wailing and moaning in all the right places. The strength of the show really lies in the supporting cast. Janet Dale dominates the stage with her strident, matriarchal nurse from the north. She provides moments of knockabout comedy combined with a tenderness for the doomed lovers. Anatol Yusef also steals the limelight as Mercutio, playfully ribbing Romeo and ultimately meeting a tragic end himself. A Strong performance also comes from Peter Straker as Capulet, he stalks the stage with air of palpable menace.
Ultimately any performance of Romeo and Juliet requires the lovers to interest for at least some of the time. The strength of this production is that the supporting cast are strong enough to portray the forces outside Romeo and Juliet's control. However, the lovers can't be totally passive observers in their fate, there needs to be some spark which this production lacks. However, this production provides a faithful rendition of the play in its original form, some relief for people who want to see Shakespeare as Shakespeare intended.
This production is now on tour.