The Stage

Romeo and Juliet

Published Monday 6 February 2012 at 11:03 by Paul Vale

There are some playful moments in Asia Osborne’s Romeo and Juliet but ultimately this is very much a bare bones production that relies on performances rather than any particular visual stimulus.

Karl Brown’s Romeo is particularly affecting, with the actor bringing the text and character to life with assurance. Rachel Winter’s rather wilful Juliet is equally assertive but slightly less polished in a production that highlights the foolish and impulsive acts of the lovers, rather than the romance.

In supporting roles, Sophie Doherty is a wonderful Nurse, bringing warmth and understanding to the character and Josh Rochford’s calming Friar Lawrence counterpoints the noisy brawl of the Verona youth perfectly. Marco Petrucco makes an excellent Tybalt, less fiery than he ought to be perhaps, but in the process much more believable in a modern setting. Ben Riddle as Mercutio and Will Close as Benvolio bounce about the stage earnestly and apply themselves well to the fight scenes but both actors struggle with the metre, layering an interpretation on top of the text rather than letting it build from within.

Designer Libby Todd’s ‘fair Verona’ is a barren, black box with a couple of rather uninspiring tricks up its sleeve, erring towards the practical rather than the imaginative and the modern costuming serves the budget better than it serves the play.