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Review: Romeo & Juliet – The Duke of York's Theatre, London

Dominic Corr

May 26

Directed by Jamie Lloyd

Written by William Shakespeare

Review by Annie Aslett

Tickets

Rating: 3 out of 5.

The long-awaited curtain (actually an enormous metal gate) is finally up on Jamie Lloyd's production of Romeo and Juliet at the Duke of York Theatre. Quoted in the show's programme, Lloyd remarks on his evolution as a director and an emerging new philosophy for the Jamie Lloyd Company: he seeks to remove the artifice and "decorative" elements of a play, instead focusing on dismantling the barriers between audience and actor to challenge those on stage and in the stalls to see something new in the material. Starring Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet and Tom Holland as Romeo, tickets have sold fast for the show's almost three-month run.

London's West End has seen countless retellings of Shakespeare'sworks helmed by a procession of household names; within months of Ralph Fiennesrelinquishing Macbeth's crown, David Tennant is set to lift it anew in October. Now, Holland steps up to bat: a BAFTARising Star award, a Spiderman suit and international acclaim noticed his journey from his first West End role as Billy Elliot to standing before us as Romeo Montague, 16 years later. Take a splash of Holland's A-list status, an impressive seven Olivier Awards picked up by Lloyd's recent revival of Sunset Boulevard and combine with Shakespeare's most popular play to get the recipe for one of the West End's most hotly anticipated productions in recent years.

For a show whose ticket sales are undeniably driven by its star casting, this is a production for the Shakespeare fan. Completely stripped of props, backdrop, and specific costumes and with limited physical interaction between the actors, the show and the audience are reliant on the actors to sell the play to us with nothing more than Shakespeare's words and their well-honed acting prowess. The script has been edited by Nima Taleghani (also starring as Benvolio) but retains much of the original, remaining resplendent in its Shakespearean lyricism. With nothing but Shakespeare's poetic but undeniably complex syntax to explain the story, one can't help but worry about the few Holland fans in the audience who have come from abroad to see the star. In this production, Lloyd champions acting above all else and asks the audience to fill in the gaps a noble endeavour that unfortunately serves only to highlight the importance of those aspects of stagecraft that are missing in this piece.

Lloyd has worked for years in the West End and on Broadway, receiving a plethora of wins and nominations from the most significant international theatre awards over his already illustrious career. The production did well, not only on the awards circuit, but in the world of internet virality - clips of star Tom Francis striding down the street each night outside the Savoy Theatre as he performed the title song, preceded by a camera streaming live back into the theatre, blew up, and ensured Francis often had a small crowd waiting to watch him go by. Lloyd employs this cinematic tactic again in Romeo and Juliet. Cameramen Callum Heinrich and Kody Mortimer film the cast at various points in the show, with the images superimposed on the metal gate that hangs above the stage. Some of the scenes on stage are filmed, but often the camera allows us to see elsewhere, as actors walk down backstage hallways, party in the foyer and, at one point, stroll past the bins. One wonders if there will be crowds waiting outside the theatre every night, straining to hear Holland monologuing from the roof. In the first half, this tool is used interestingly - for example, subtle camera work suggests Juliet is on her balcony and Romeo below, despite us seeing Holland and Amewudah-Rivers side by side on stage. As the actors move around the theatre, the live stream from these roving cameras provides much-needed visual interest onstage.

However, as the show progresses, particularly in the second half, the camera often films long scenes of dialogue happening on stage - useful for those in the Upper Circle but ultimately meaningless. Utilised more sparingly and judiciously; however, in many instances, it served as an awkward reminder that this version of the play might have worked better as an audiobook or a film. While the acting was in itself excellent (more on this later), the cast often projecting straight to the audience, positioned side by side with microphone stands or sitting on the edge of the stage, staring resolutely ahead. The camera is used to bridge the gap in these scenes, their relative position in the camera shot speaking volumes. However, removing the ability to react to each other makes the whole production feel more like a table read than a performance. There are moments where the actors interact physically (one of the only scenes between Holland and Amewudah-Rivers is riveting in its understated sensuality), but these are too few and far between. By abandoning all of the "decorative elements" and relying solely on the actors speaking the words without allowing them to respond to each other physically, one fears that Lloyd has removed too much of what makes a play connect with the audience.

Romeo and Juliet has been remade over and over; it is perhaps unfortunate for Lloyd that this production comes so relatively hot on the heels of Matthew Bourne's 2019 adaptation that toured the UK - Bourne did much of what Lloyd seeks to do in ripping the story out of its traditional packaging, albeit working in the vastly different medium of dance. Where Lloyd wants his actors and audience to languish in the void, Bourne instead filled it - having removed many of the original elements and depositing the story in an ambiguous setting, the audience was challenged to see Romeo and Juliet in a new light whilst simultaneously being, well, entertained. This is a hurdle that Lloyd hasn't quite managed to jump. The undeniably stellar acting, brutalist set and costume design by Soutra Gilmour, moody lighting by Jon Clark, intense bass from sound designer Ben Ringham and dynamic cinematography and video design by Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom combine to create an intense and undeniably new experience of Romeo and Juliet for audience and actor. Tick. However, for the telling of a story of such passion, the result is hollow.

If the show feels a bit like a glorified table read, the actors around that table are peerless. In the lead roles Amewudah-Rivers and Holland are compelling and utterly believable as the young star-crossed lovers, naïve in the face of their warring families. Amewudah-Rivers shines as the strong-willed Juliet; charming and funny in Juliet's more youthful, hopeful moments, she also delivers Juliet's anguish with poise and maturity. Holland is equally charismatic as Romeo, flowing between delicate, vivacious, and at his best when Romeo is at his most tortured. The audience gets to appreciate Holland's talent fully when he appears onscreen via the cameramen as the masterful subtleties in his expression are writ large for those further back. Freema Agyeman is glorious as the Nurse - she breathes new life into Shakespeare's dialogue, getting some big laughs from the audience. Michael Balogun, as the Friar, bookends the play, delivering the iconic lines with gravitas. His earnest and caring tone also sells his role as Romeo and Juliet's biggest supporter and ally throughout. Tomiwa Edun is another standout as Capulet, often menacing as the head of the family, but instances of warmth in his layered performance convince us of his mission to do right by his daughter, however misguided. Nima Taleghani and Joshua-Alexander Williams as Benvolio and Mercutio are dynamic as Romeo's staunch allies; the chemistry between the three friends, and particularly between Taleghani and Holland, is a highlight.

Ambitious in its remit, this production of Romeo and Juliet is full of talent both on stage and in the creative team but has missed the mark in the entertainment factor. Lloyd has had great success with stripping back famous plays, removing what you expect to see and using the blank space left to challenge the audience to see the show in new ways. In this production, that ethos may have been pushed to its limit.

Pushed to its Limit

Romeo & Juliet runs at the Duke of York's Theatre, London, until August 3rd.
Running time - Two hours and fifteen minutes with one interval.

Photo credit - Marc Brenner

Review by Annie Aslett

Annie is a life-long lover of musical theatre, whose childhood performances included a rousing production of Snow White in The Hall and a heartfelt rendition of Go, Go, Go Joseph in The Living Room. While confined to the audiences these days, she regularly catches the latest shows and musicals in London's West End and is excited to experience the musical delights of the Fringe, as well as any comedy that she can get her hands on. School's out and she's raring to review.

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