Romeo & Juliet Reviewed

By Ewan Emslie

A tragic Shakespearean play transformed into an 80s camp love affair; the Mermaids Performing Arts’ adaptation of the classical tale is an energetic re-imagination of a classic.

Director, Lila Patterson, breathes new life into the ageless drama by placing it into an 80s summer camp and follows the love affair of two girls in opposing teams. The thrilling blend of Old English dialogue and an easy-spirited volleyball match, introduces the audience to the quirky and clever reconstruction of Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy. Classical elements of the original story are reimagined with the warring noble Houses of Capulets vs Montagues being transformed into battling teams in an 80s summer camp. Replacing the traditional renaissance costumes are the sporting fits adorned in the 80s - small shorts and team emblems emblazoned on t-shirts. The tragedy revolves around a few main settings: Juliet’s room which has a bunk bed substituted for the iconic castle, Friar Laurence’s office and various establishments within the camp including a sun-soaked volleyball court and swimming pool. Underpinning many iconic scenes of the play, including the fight scene between Mercutio (Eva Rieckewald) and the fiery Tybalt (Ian Crews), are some of the 80s greatest hits which serves to add either levity to some of the easy-going scenes of the play or tension to the fight segments.

In the tragic romance revolving around our two main leads Romeo (Eilidh Read) and Juliet (Donna-Marie French), the chemistry between them is palpable as the two extremely talented actresses perform a believable, intimate connection between the characters. Read captures the romantic and charismatic nature of Romeo and she, as does the writing, balances the line between the original male lead and the more contemporary female protagonist beautifully - managing to express the integral parts of the original character whilst not compromising the modern twist. Her counterpart, French, delivers a stellar part as Juliet - her delivery of the poison scene balanced teenage melodrama with genuine vulnerability, becoming one of the highlights of the play.

Their performances are reflective of the amazing cast brought together by this play. They brought to life a witty and dynamic performance, which engaged the audience and their ability to shift from heavier, more tragic themes in the play to lighter, playful scenes garnered laughs from the audience followed, in more sad scenes, by stunned silence. Each member of the cast served to enrichen the story and there was no one who faded into the background. The comical dynamic between Mercutio (Eva Reickewald) and Benvolio (James Carder-Geddes) provides some humorous relief but also execute a compelling performance for the darker, more serious scene. Ian Crews’ portrayal of Tybalt in the first act of the play was memorable for his intense and fiery demeanour and was a key indicator of the feud between the teams. Further, on the Capulets’ side, Lady Capulet (Sawyer Bowen Flynn) and Nurse (Poppy Kimitris) provide a warm presence to accompany Juliet and their conflicting emotions about Romeo and their portrayal of the grief for the loss of cousin, Tybalt, is superb and impressive. The overarching schemes of Friar Lawrence (Geordie Coles) was done flawlessly and his enacment of the complex character was intriguing and playful.

Accompanying the acting of the cast, the various sets serve to envelope the audience into this world. The behind-the-scenes crew worked tirelessly to create seamless transitions between the scenes and produced a capturing and cosy set which assisted as backdrop for the fantastic play. The lighting team did a fabulous job adding tension and atmosphere to the scenes through their choices such as red-coloured flashes during murders and warm-coloured tones during the campfire scene. The focal white lighting illuminating Juliet’s dead body was a particularly moving scene and the use of darkness and light to highlight the angelic presence of Juliet was exquisite.

Overall, the production was a professional performance and delivered a witty and engaging alteration of Shakespeare’s timeless drama. The interweaving of various tongue-in-cheek moments with the serious tragedy playing out on stage was immaculately done and captivated the audience. The reimagination of the tale based in an 80s setting adds a fresh new twist to the famous story and the use of an 80s setting and music creates a dynamic new atmosphere to the story. Additionally, the gender-swapping of the cast felt fluid and natural and the lack of alterations to the story’s main plot due to this change was admirable and highlighted the modern approach to a timeless drama.

(Image from Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archives)