Despite being one of the most famous plays of all time, this was my first live performance of “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare. Directed by John Bell, performed by his theatre company Bell Shakespeare, and attended by American tourists wanting to see a famous play in the famous Sydney Opera House.
John Bell has modernised Shakespeare before, and he’s moved the warring families of the Montagues and Capulets into a kind of gang / mafia setting. It should have worked, but Bell seems to have relied on a pretty thin understanding of gang rivalry, and it winds up unconvincing.
What lacks in the gang rivalry is made up for in Juliet. Shakespeare took the old tale of Romeo and Juliet, and made Juliet much younger – an innocent and naive 14 year old. Chloe Armstrong captures this innocence brilliantly. It transforms the play from being about true love, to a play about passionate first love. Other notable performances include Mathew Moore as Mercutio and John Batchelor as Capulet.
Romeo and Juliet is not one of my favorite Shakespeare’s, and I was was expecting something more from John Bell. Then again, it’s oft said Bell does one play a year that’s a crowd pleaser, and I guess Romeo & Juliet was it this year. For a more glowing review, see the Sydney Morning Herald’s opinion
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
