Romeo in the City

Published Monday 8 October 2007 at 18:25 by Nuala Calvi

Amber Lone’s new play, inspired by Romeo and Juliet, is a timely reminder of just how relevant Shakespeare’s themes of forbidden love, family honour and the pull of violence still are on the streets of modern Britain.

Kiran, a Pakistani girl, wins the part of Juliet in the school play, throwing her into the path of Somali refugee Omar, cast as Romeo. Their blossoming friendship leads to tensions between the two communities, with predictably tragic consequences.

It’s a simple tale told with plenty of attitude - particularly from Seray Morka as Kiran’s streetwise, Turkish Cypriot best friend, whose head movements could rival those of any Trisha audience member, and Balvinder Hayer, as her posturing, jealous brother.

Impressive Capoeira sequences bring the fighting scenes in the play-within-a-play to life, the concrete, urban set bathed in a pool of green light and movements slowed down in the style of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The production’s stylishness makes up for a questionable attempt to marry Shakespearean verse with modern street language, leading to some rather cringe-worthy rhyming couplets.

A poorly-handled ending fails to do justice to a play that otherwise manages to tap into youth culture without being patronising.