Romeo and Juliet
By William Shakespeare
New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme
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Who would have thought that Russell Kane, the hilarious comedian who has more than half a million followers on some of his social media channels, was fascinated by Shakespeare?
It’s been his ambition for a long time to perform the Bard’s works. His only previous theatrical experience was touring three of his own plays. Now, though, he is tackling one of Shakespeare’s greatest roles, Romeo.
It’s down to Jimmy Fairhurst, artistic director of theatre company Not Too Tame, who is directing Romeo and Juliet as part of the New Vic’s 40th anniversary season. And you have to say that Kane does a pretty good job in a production in which the star-crossed lovers are middle-aged.
Kane is passionate and impulsive, credibly trying to resist fighting Juliet’s cousin Tybalt only mercilessly to take revenge when Tybalt kills Romeo’s best friend Mercutio.
Natalie Casey (Juliet) and Lizzie Hopley (Capulet). Above: Russell Kane (Romeo) and Natalie Casey (Juliet) [images: Patch Dolan]
Fairhurst’s decision to have the two lead characters with plenty of life experience means Shakespeare’s words have more resonance than if they were spoken by two younger actors. The scene in which Romeo and Juliet die is particularly heart-breaking.
When Fairhurst undertakes a project, he believes he’s making it for people who feel theatre isn’t for them. With Romeo and Juliet he’s brought it up to date. Presumably this would appeal to 40-somethings as well as students who might be studying it for GCSE English literature. It works well for the most part.
Some people might find disturbing a realistic fight at the beginning: the Montagues and the Capulets wearing masks and balaclavas are intent on causing as many injuries as possible.
Fairhurst has assembled a talented cast who buy into his idea for the production. There are striking performances from Patrick Knowles as Friar and Tybalt, Ray Sesay as Mercutio and Prince, Kieran Foster as Benvolio, Louise Haggerty as a glamorous Nurse, Lizzie Hopley as domineering Capulet and David Nellist as Montague and Paris.
But the concept doesn’t totally come off. The actors appear at the start wearing hi-vis clothing on a building site. It was only when I read the programme that I learned the play is set in “a world of feuding family construction firms: Montague and Son and Capulet Homes”. They fight hard for contracts; they are not averse to resorting to criminal activity to get what they want.
Russell Kane (Romeo) and Kieran Foster (Benvolio)
On a personal level, I didn’t like bringing modern language into the production. At the start actors mingle and converse with the audience in modern speech before launching into Shakespeare’s words.
The servant Peter, an excellent Andrew Butler, also breaks the fourth wall when he gets members of the audience to help out with invitations to a party to celebrate Juliet’s 40th birthday. It’s funny, as is an interlude when Peter gets onlookers to join in with a tambourine and a penny whistle on “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”.
The Prince’s final speech “For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo” is omitted and the play seems deficient because of it.
It’s a great idea to bring Romeo and Juliet up to date so that younger people and those who don’t know Shakespeare can experience what a great play it is. Some purists might not like Fairhurst’s production; but on the night I saw it at the New Vic there were plenty of people who really enjoyed it.
* This review originally appeared on the British Theatre Guide website
The cast of Romeo and Juliet
