R&J Marloo 2007

Romeo & Juliet - Marloo Theatre 31st August 2007 First of all I wish to congratulate Marloo for taking on the wonderful beast of Shakespeare in the first place - always a brave choice; but should be done more often. As an audience we are first exposed to the set of this show. Congratulations to Richard Coleman for another fantastic result. Overall good use of the space and creating something reminiscent of the Globe Theatre. The secret location of the bed (bedroom scene) was a pleasant surprise and very clever - extremely clever - well done! Most of the additional props and furniture brought on added to the scenes - but some detracted eg: Clumsy flags hung above the flats for the party scene. The costumes were also very impressive - well done Marjorie De Caux. Mostly kept with a traditional feel but adapted with brighter colour variances to distinguish the difference between the Capulets and Montagues. Good to see men in tights again (not that I found that particularly erotic!) although hats off to Romeo for attempting to wear half in white - a brace man! The overall look was great and worked well. The additional potential issue with putting on a Shakespeare is handling the language. I would suggest that it would be beneficial to include 1 extra months rehearsal purely to focus on speaking and handling the language - this would certainly have been beneficial within this production. There is so much in the text, punctuation and words of this great show that simply went unobserved - mainly because the majority of the cast were naive in how to use it and also young. It is simply not enough just to speak it - there is a whole performance waiting to be unlocked if addressed properly. Also, why were some of the greatest speeches cut from this show? (Mercutio, Apothecary etc...) A shame. The music, sound, light and dance worked well within the show and added to the overall experience. Great sound effects used during crowd scenes and the lighting was fantastic - some real thought had gone into the design. Well done to In Step Dance Studio for a well presented routine (chorography) - well researched and presented. Not sure of the use of the singer - apart from the fact that she could sing (don't remember it in the script) - would have preferred the Apothecarys full speech! Stage Fighting ...... what the?! Should have been one of the highlights of the show - but wasn't. Agreed, the blocking/staging was effective in relation to creating an overall busy effect but the 'style' looked completely wrong. I understand that we have actors using swords for the first time - but this was not their aptitude but more the style they had been taught. They were swinging their rapiers around like they were broadswords - elegant, slender metal bending all over the place! Rapiers were designed to pierce not slash. I also felt very uncomfortable when a dagger was thrown across the stage (especially when it struck the person who should have caught it). A very dangerous move - surprised it was permitted. Madboy Maniakz (David Green & Jon Green) would be interested in seeing some of your other work - actors well done with what you were given. Performances: Certainly a few worthy of mention, especially within the leading core:- Katy Mitton Great performance and consistent throughout. Strong start but conquered all in the second half. Emotional and committed. Good use of language and a pleasure to watch. Jacqui Warner Brilliant! Great character in the nurse - maintained throughout. Good use of language and style. Congratulations Phil Mackenzie Good solid character and base throughout. Excellent use of language and overall stage presence. Don't bang the stick so much next time! Well done Others: Mike Hart solid performance and commitment to the character - strong voice, Lisa Skypichayko good lady capulet with plenty of energy (could have been stronger at times), David Sorensen well done for stepping into Mercutio at late notice - shame lines were cut and felt the interpretation was very effeminate, Ted Simpson good presence but need to see your face more often; Paul Hunt - well done for a strong Benvolio (and at late notice) good overall presence and voice, Ineke Neeson good stage awareness and reactions - would be interested to see as Juliet, Dylan Searle - what the?! may wish to learn how to use body and voice on stage (entertaining at a level) - well done to Peter & Jarod Money for a stirling performance. Overall it was a bloody good stab at Romeo & Juliet - supported mainly by a handful of strong performances, great set, costumes and effect. Well done to Douglas Sutherland-Bruce and the cast/crew of this show - Shakespeare should be done every year! Go and have a look - showing till the end of September at Marloo. Warmest Peter