‘To be, or not to be?’: Shakespeare at the Byre

Romeo and Juliet. Many of you will read that title and shudder: suddenly plunged straight back into your year 10 classroom, (AQA survivors stand in solidarity).  

Picture the scene: it's no later than 9am on a cold November morning - no - scratch that, January morning (to add to the air of depression I'm trying to recreate), and your teacher suddenly announces, “today we’ll be looking at Shakespeare”. There’s a collective groan, and the look you blazingly throw at the teacher speaks a thousand words- none of which I can relay in this article.  

People love to hate on Shakespeare... well, unless you’re a performative man declaring that yes, romantic literature really does hold a special place in your heart - or you’re an English major, like me. Nonetheless, the Mermaid Society's rendition of Romeo and Juliet, performed at the Byre Theatre on the 14th and 15th October 2025, was anything but the stereotypes of boring, outdated or irrelevant (because let's be honest, that’s what a lot of people -sadly- think to Shakespeare).  

Source:  Byre Theatre Website 

The allure of the St Andrews rendition of Romeo and Juliet owes a lot to its creative liberty, retelling the story through the landscape of a 1980s American Summer camp - genius, right?  The scene opens around a fire pit with Geordie Coles once again showcasing his ability to captivate an audience - this time as Friar Lawrence - holding a torch light menacingly to his face and retelling spooky campfire stories. The perfect foreshadowing of the Aristotelian tragedy that is about to unfold. Add fire to the mix, and suddenly Shakespeare’s not sounding so dull, am I right?  

Now, to contrast this work with a childhood classic, I would like to cast your thoughts over to the brilliant Gnomeo and Juliet. Cue “don’t go breaking my heart”. This 2011 cinematic masterpiece has everything on offer- comedy, heightened emotion, and well, Emily Blunt. Now, the Golden Globe winning actress wasn’t in town, but the Byre did host just about the closest thing to this diva in St Andrews: George Rook, who played Sampson. Speaking exclusively to this comedy society legend the evening after his performance, Rook described the experience as “a good success”, and that he hoped to “iron out those few creases” for closing night. By “few creases” I can only assume he means his dancing scene- that’s where the true tragedy of Romeo and Juliet lies! 

So, although Gnomeo and Juliet did bring innovation in the form of an Elton John soundtrack, the mermaid society's rendition brought so much more to the stage than any porcelain figures could ever dream of. No garden gnome could ever remember their lines, expressed in similar language to that of late 16th century English, with such eloquence and ease as the actors at the Byre. Performing in front of a crowd is difficult enough when you have 216 pairs of eyes peering at you, but the lead roles played respectively by Eilidh Read (Romeo) and Donna Marie French (Juliet), made this seem like an easy feat. They commanded the stage with such presence and emotion, that I almost forgot Donna hadn’t really been killed in the final scene. The casting of Romeo as a woman was a perceptive contemporary spin on the original; demonstrating how the characters love for one another transcends all barriers including that of family rivalry, gender, and sexuality. As such, a lot can be learned from this performance in relation to everyday life in St Andrews. 

Seeing as the actual plot remained largely the same as Shakespeare’s version, the underlying morals of the play were sustained within this rendition, such as ‘don’t fall victim to infatuation’ and ‘don’t rely on a messenger’.  Within the handout I was given upon entering the Byre, director Lila Patterson also wrote that Romeo and Juliet’s narrative is one which resonates with St Andrews. She draws similarities between how they both explore young adults growing up in worlds we are yet to understand. So along these lines,  the play reminds us that a) the boy you meet at 601 is not the one, and b) it’s St Andrews…Eduroam will decide to kick you off at any given moment, ensuring your message never gets delivered, and impending doom is all but certain. 

With all this being said, the answer to the question “to be, or not to be?” Well, in simple terms, Shakespeare most definitely has a place to be. And the place to be is right here in St Andrews. Congratulations to all involved within the performance!