The Stage

Romeo and Juliet

Published Thursday 29 July 2010 at 12:09 by Andrew Blades

Following its successful production of Twelfth Night last summer, Creation return to the Said Business School Amphitheatre with this new Romeo, welcoming back Shakespeare veteran Charlotte Conquest as director, and some Creation staples among the cast. It stands with the very best of their work.

A scene from Romeo and Juliet at Said Business School Amphitheatre, Oxford Photo: Peter Wolfes

From the off, the performances crackle with youthful vim. Prologues are seldom delivered with urgency, but here the bar is set high. This Romeo has absolutely no time to waste, and it never relents.

The athletic delivery is matched by the sparest of sets, reminding the audience that this is a lean play when stripped to its essentials.

The first half in particular accentuates the boisterousness of some of the comedy, revelling in the fine talents of Benjamin Askew and Nicky Goldie. Askew’s Mercutio is a blond beanpole poet, he flirts with the verse, taking a gymnastic approach to his iambics and generally landing on his feet with a smile. Meanwhile, Goldie’s Nurse is a Chaucerian delight, and her scene with Mercutio in the square is, as ever, a high point.

The transition from light to shadow in the last couple of acts is managed with dexterity, helped by the outdoor setting. The second half features some rich acting from Gordon Cooper as Capulet, dishing whisky-breathed threats out to his errant daughter, and draws convincing performances from the two leads, Patrick Myles and Amy Noble, who are fresh and affecting throughout.

Summer Shakespeare often bypasses Romeo and Juliet, it seems too obvious a draw. There is nothing obvious about this production - it is a play refreshed.