Review: ROMEO & JULIET at The Australian Shakespeare Company
Romeo & Juliet really is one of Shakespeare’s best plays to experience outdoors, as the sun descends, and the stars begin to twinkle. All of course while enjoying a BYO picnic and bottle of prosecco.
By: Josh Stent Feb. 23, 2023
The Australian Shakespeare Company has done it again, with another fantastic outdoor evening of Shakespeare Under the Stars at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. The production this time is the iconic romantic tragedy of Romeo & Juliet, and you will not be disappointed! Romeo & Juliet really is one of Shakespeare's best plays to experience outdoors, as the sun descends, and the stars begin to twinkle. All of course while enjoying a BYO picnic and bottle of prosecco.
Cherished by Elizabethans after its premiere in 1597, Romeo & Juliet remains one of Shakespeare's most beloved, and most performed plays today. Indeed, such is Romeo & Juliet's impact more than 400 years later, we are still seeing modern adaptations of this classic. For example, in 2022, Rosaline aired, a television comedy series spin-off centring around Romeo's ex-girlfriend Rosaline. Even in Melbourne next week the influences of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet are still clear, with the 2019 jukebox new musical & Juliet, opening.
However, the use of Romeo & Juliet's narrative in the creation of new works is nothing new, albeit in a slightly different context. When writing Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare himself heavily borrowed from the 1562 Arthur Brooke narrative poem, The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet, and the 1567 William Painter play Palace of Pleasure. Furthermore, the storyline of these two 'star-crossed lovers', can be traced further back through Italian and French literature which includes the work of Luigi da Porta, Masuccio Salernitano, Matteo Bandello and Pierre Boaistuau.
Cherished by Elizabethans after its premiere in 1597, Romeo & Juliet remains one of Shakespeare's most beloved, and most performed plays today. Indeed, such is Romeo & Juliet's impact more than 400 years later, we are still seeing modern adaptations of this classic. For example, in 2022, Rosaline aired, a television comedy series spin-off centring around Romeo's ex-girlfriend Rosaline. Even in Melbourne next week the influences of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet are still clear, with the 2019 jukebox new musical & Juliet, opening.
However, the use of Romeo & Juliet's narrative in the creation of new works is nothing new, albeit in a slightly different context. When writing Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare himself heavily borrowed from the 1562 Arthur Brooke narrative poem, The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet, and the 1567 William Painter play Palace of Pleasure. Furthermore, the storyline of these two 'star-crossed lovers', can be traced further back through Italian and French literature which includes the work of Luigi da Porta, Masuccio Salernitano, Matteo Bandello and Pierre Boaistuau.
In this production of Romeo & Juliet, director Glenn Elston's OAM vast experience as a director of out-door theatre and his expert understanding of Shakespeare's work really do make for a night of good theatre. You will notice a couple of contemporary additions and/or embellishments to Shakespeare's text that Elston has infused into Romeo & Juliet, and for the most part these work quite nicely in the story-telling process. Elston also does an excellent job in bringing out the comical elements of the play's supporting characters, particularly in the first act. This then makes the tragedies that arise in the second act more poignant.
Elston's direction is nicely supported by Sue-Ellen Shook's Bollywood inspired choreography and Scott Jackson's fight choreography remains on point throughout the performance. The musical direction by Paul Norton was strong and the inclusion of original songs "Love is Not Love" and "Flowers", which were derived from Shakespearean sonnets, was a particularly nice touch. As was the sublime vocal delivery of these songs, with solo vocals by Larissa Teale and Tane Accra-Williams, and supporting vocals by Akansha Hungenahally, Elizabeth Brennan and Larissa Teale.
Regarding the principal cast's performances, Dion Mills was strikingly good as Friar Lawrence and Nicole Nabout gave a compelling performance as Lady Capulet. Alison Whyte's portrayal of Juliet's nurse resulted in some fantastically comical moments and Wolfgang Reed was convincing as Romeo. Tiffany Wong was impressive as Juliet, and she was able to bring a true authenticity to Juliet's ingénue naivety. Wong's delivery of Juliet's famous balcony monologue was a highlight of the evening.
The Australian Shakespeare Company's production of Romeo & Juliet is playing at Southern Cross Lawn, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria until 11th March 2023.
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