4/5 stars
November 1
stage@leeds
Leeds University Union Theatre Group
The renowned tale of star-crossed lovers is cleverly updated and made relevant for a modern audience, with our current economic climate central to the feud between ‘Capulet Incorporate’ and ‘Montague Banking’. Scenes play out in bars and on street corners, smart suits and pencil skirts are donned, and an insulting newspaper headline is the new form of ‘biting your thumb’.
This production is excellently directed, with one particularly brilliant moment being the fight scene between Mercutio and Tybalt. It brings an epic end to the first half of the play, and the combination of lighting, choreography and performance from the actors creates a fantastic scene. What is interesting about it is that all dialogue is cut from the scene, relying purely on the actor’s movements and physicality to dictate the story; a risk which pays off superbly.
a clever, slick and riveting production…
This method of staging is repeated towards the end of the play, in an inspired overlapping of moments which moves the play along while effectively depicting scenes which can normally be dragged out and lose the audience’s attention. What is also effective is the use of projections and minimalist props; they set the scene yet keep the central focus on the acting.
Shakespeare is, of course, always very difficult to approach; due to this, projection of lines was sometimes off, while others felt a bit rushed and were thereby lost from the audience. However, the collective cast were very good and general delivery was excellent. There were some fantastic stand out performances by Matthew Conway and Matthew Seager as Tybalt and Mercutio respectively. Conway brought a brilliant intensity to Tybalt while Seager’s movements and gestures complimented the character of Mercutio well.
A Shakespearean classic such as Romeo and Juliet comes with quite a reputation, and so anyone who takes it on is under pressure to bring something new to the table. As always, LUU Theatre Group deliver and director Euan Tyre should be incredibly proud of what he has created: a clever, slick and riveting production.
Alice Rafter