Romeo and Juliet - Marloo Theatre

In the interests of disclosure let me first say that Romeo & Juliet is my LEAST favourite Shakespeare... Congratulations to Marloo for tackling the bard... when was the last time? The Merchant of Venice some fourteen years prior? A long time between drinks! First mention must go to the power Design Triumvirate that seem to be one of Marloo's current great strengths: Marjorie DeCaux, Richard Coleman and Michael Hart. Marjorie and Richard have gone for period realism, admittedly from two totally different periods, and melded them almost seemlessly. I have said before that Marjorie ain't no Wardrobe Mistress... this woman is a Costumier! Beautifully stunning and appropriate Italian Renaissance costumes beautifully matched and fitted to the performers. The set was stunningly Tudor and very effective. The disparaty between the two periods was hardly noticeable to the untrained eye, in fact I loved it! (Although there were times looking at the set when I sat back and wished that I were seeing Merry Wives of Windsor rather than R&J) The bedroom scene especially was a stage picture that shall linger in my mind's eye for quite some time, just as the morning light seemed to linger through the casement.Well done all three of you and your entire teams. It is unfortunate that this high bar set by the design was only occasionally cleared by the rest of the production. It is difficult in amateur theatre to manage an equally high level of performance in such a huge cast, but the level of achievement in this show widely, widely varied. Top marks must go to the Warners... Jacqui Warner as the Nurse was a pure delight and lifted the entire stage every time she walked on stage. A strong character that never descended into caricature, which is a constant dager for this role, she was believable the entire time. I would have no hesitation in naming her Best on Stage! Katy Mitton (nee Warner) was a stunning Juliet. An actor who was born to play this role, and play it well she did. She possessed an innate understanding of the role and the lines which are so well known and so often mis-played. This is one of the few times I have heard a Juliet get the meaning of "...wherefore art thou Romeo?" Lisa Skrypichayko completes the triple threat of the Capulet women holding her own against the two previously mentioned. Nary a trace of Canadian in her portrayal, her English was totally believable, as was her portrayal. An equally stunning portrayal. [Note to Derek Clauson: I think the character of Romeo is half the reason why I hate this play... he is so... wet? Don't take it personally that I haven't mentioned you... the only Romeo I have actually EVER liked was Nureyev in the ballet. Well done with such an insipid role... It's a tricky one and you didn't suck! The fault is half Will's and half mine... and none yours] Against the astounding achievements of these three the rest of the cast varied between very good and painful. Amongst the very good mention must also be made of Richard Coleman's Prince (When are we going to see you play Falstaff? Start harassing people now, Richard!) Michael Hart's Friar Lawrence and Phil Mackenzie's Capulet. Solid performances, giving a grounding that the show sorely needed. The Prince and Capulet's dialogue during the ball was a refreshingly real exchange. "Person To Keep an Eye On" would have to be Paul Hunt as Benvolio. I am led to believe that he took the role on very late in the process, and yet he was by far the most assured of the younger males on stage, ah, to imagine how he would have been had he had the role from the start! The production on the whole seemed to drag mercilessly. The pace was slow and precise and... well... lifeless? This wasn't helped by some bad scene changes that seemed to halt the production in its tracks. Even just covering them with music would have done a lot. And some of the choices left me cold. Couldn't Romeo have died a second later or Juliet woken a second earlier? I always think that when Romeo dies before Juliet wakes then Romeo gets off way too easily. Whereas when Juliet starts to wake after he has taken the poison but before he has actually died he gets that very brief moment of "Oh my God, what have I done!" The choice to place Tybalt's corpse in the tomb as well was inspired. "Of course!" I said to myself as the light's came up "Of course his corpse would also be there" nicely picked up. In summation: a very traditional and somewhat uninspired production saved by great design and brilliant portrayals by the Capulet Women. Remember, it is far nobler to aim beyond your grasp and just miss than to never attempt. And here's hoping that we don't have to wait another fourteen years for the next one!