Shropshire Star

Romeo and Juliet, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford - review

Director Erica Whyman ticks every right-on, gender-fluid, colour-blind box in this wildly energetic production, turning the Bard's tragedy of death in Verona into a 21st century orgy of inner-city stabbings.

Published
Karen Fishwick and Bally Gill as Romeo and Juliet. Pic: Topher McGrillis © RSC

The moral, laid on pretty thick in the programme, is that knife crime is a social evil that can be fixed.

Another moral is that you should avoid marrying girls the day after you meet them; especially if they're only 13 and a bit highly strung.

Male characters become female, a straight character becomes gay, and Mercutio, the macho swordsman who gets the great line 'a plague on both your houses', is a wonderfully agile and fast-talking gang-girl, played stunningly by Charlotte Josephine.

Amid this feminist take-over, Juliet's father Capulet, thankfully remains male with Michael Hodgson delivering a cracking performance.

But it's the 'star-cross'd lovers' who make or break this play and Karen Fishwick and Bally Gill do not disappoint. He looks terrific but she gets the best speeches and delivers them magnificently.

The set resembles a warehouse with a large movable box which becomes balcony, tomb, friar's cell and so on. I worry that somebody will eventually fall off it.

This will probably be remembered as a Marmite production; you'll either love it or hate it. Despite all the mucking about with the characters and the rather preachy tone, I enjoyed it - and so, more to the point, did the youngsters in the audience.

Romeo and Juliet is at Stratford until September 21.

It will be broadcast live at selected cinemas on July 18.