Bell Shakespeares 'Romeo and Juliet' 2016
Shakespeare’s plays are not for everyone. His complex characters, old-fashioned language and Victorian settings certainly make his work an acquired taste.
Bell Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ directed by Peter Evans, manages to make Shakespeare appealing to everyone.
As one of my favourite plays I was going to be ruthless. I have read the script, watched the movie adaptations and seen my fair share of the play in theatres. Heck, I even saw ‘Twilight’ as people were comparing it ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (you were all wrong).
Each time ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was placed in front of me I always felt the sadness that naturally comes with the tragic love story. So I was surprised when this contemporary take on Shakespeare – that followed the script perfectly – made me laugh…hard.
The entire play was so well cast that the sharp wit and one liners of the lesser known characters were delivered perfectly and caught most of the audience off guard.
This, coupled with the unique use of the stage setting made this adaptation a fine start to this theatre season.
Canberra Theatre has always been unique, it is much smaller and intimate than other theatres so there is no need to book seats right up the front. With a relatively small area to work with, the actors utilised the space in both a humourous and dramatic way. From pulling down curtains, repeatedly, (which the entire theatre thought was an accident) to the famous balcony scene, the production served the script great justice.
Kelly Paterniti (Juliet) was a force to be reckoned with on the stage. Her imagination and skill as an actress allowed her to execute the character of Juliet beautifully. Not to mention, her small figure, flowing brown hair and her incredibly youthful appearance was exactly what anyone would expect Juliet to look like.
Alex Williams (Romeo) did not do anything wrong in terms of his performance of Romeo. He delved deep into Romeos motivations and certainly looked the part. Though when it came to the actors’ interaction with Juliet he did not really go beyond what was expected of a Romeo. Fortunately, the two characters found their momentum as the play progressed.
This version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ has easily been my favourite. Although it is still Shakespearean and set in a Victorian era, this adaptation reminds the audience of that first time encountering the opposite sex in a passionate and humorous way. The intimate theatre space and clever set design propel the audience into another time and we are reminded just how young the two protagonists are. The growing dynamic between Romeo and Juliet is whimsically blissful and makes us forget the ending (spoiler alert, they both die).
This was a great play to attend for Shakespeare lovers on any level. If you missed out, Bell Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ will be released later this year.
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