From the Twitter-esque gossiping of the prologue and the house party vibe of the ball to the streetwise swagger of Charlotte Josephine’s Mercutio and the unrequited desire which Josh Finan’s Benvolio harbours for his cousin Romeo (Bally Gill), Erica Whyman’s touring production for the RSC is fresh, current and for the bulk of the first half LMAO funny.

Much of the humour down to saucy asides and Ishia Bennison’s bawdy Nurse whose close relationship with Karen Fishwick’s Juliet (your favourite aunt after uncorking a second bottle of rosé) is in stark contrast to Miriam Haque’s Lady Capulet which is distant, strained and as frosty as the blood that stills within the veins of the star-crossed lovers.

But, Verona, we have a problem: part structural (the speed with which Romeo and Juliet fall in love is a hard pill to swallow), part performance (Romeo’s love-at-first-sight for Juliet is tangible, but the reverse is less convincing) and part staging (the ball, though wonderfully choreographed and lit, is very much presented from Romeo’s POV; Juliet’s expression of love reduced to monologue and snatched kisses).

Nonetheless, an engaging and exuberant production which certainly struck a chord with the busloads of pupils in attendance who lapped up Romeo’s nervous and excited wooing; frowned in disapproval at Capulet’s controlling parenting (Michael Hodgson valiantly battling the lurgy); and watched in horror at how quickly throwaway comments can escalate into fatal stabbings.

Peter Callaghan
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