Review: RUBBISH ROMEO AND JULIET, Liverpool Theatre Festival

Ahead of its run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Rubbish Romeo and Juliet took to the stage at the Liverpool Theatre Festival for one hour of hilarious fun, which had both adults and children alike cheering for more.

Delivered by The Rubbish Shakespeare Company, their aim is to make the Bard’s work accessible to everyone - and they achieved exactly that. 

Their production of Romeo and Juliet combined the traditional Shakespearean text with a modern day setting and pop culture references (cue the Capulet masked ball featuring Romeo and Mercutio wearing masks of celebrities such as Simon Cowell as they danced to some “proper tunes”). 

Along with questioning lines in the text as Romeo asked, “What does that even mean?”, the production style and script clearly explained the traditional dialogue to the audience (something this reviewer wishes they’d had when studying GCSE English), while breaking down the story into an easy to follow timeline that engaged the audience from start to finish.

Do not let the show’s name fool you either. Rubbish Romeo and Juliet is far from rubbish. It was one of the funniest afternoons at the theatre I have experienced in a long time.

The superb trio of actors delivered an energetic and educational show, with all the fun of Horrible Histories and passion for the bard’s original text, to prove that Shakespeare is certainly not boring.

This reviewer has never before seen a production where Romeo asks a member of the audience to be their best man at the wedding to Juliet and to deliver a best man speech, or one where the entire room breaks out into the Macarena dance routine. Yet in doing so, the heightened fun not only brought the tale of Romeo and Juliet to life in front of you - but you felt that you were living the story alongside the characters - once again making the bard’s work accessible to all ages.

The actors should be commended for their quick character changes, which kept the pace of the story moving quickly. Using just a few costumes and props on the empty stage in St Luke’s Church (from wigs to footballs and blankets), the cast ran on and off stage and changed characters with ease. They did not need an elaborate set either - their energy onstage and utilisation of costumes and props was enough to create the story on its own.

The actors walking through each side of the audience also effectively set the scene for the rivalry between the Montagues and the Capulets too, as the audience were divided into one house or the other as the play began.

It was a well-thought out production that despite knowingly being told in a silly way, was one of the best productions of Romeo and Juliet this reviewer has ever seen - and one I haven’t stopped talking about.

Whether you are five or 105, Rubbish Romeo and Juliet is a must see show that will ignite your love of Shakespeare - or make you fall in love with the bard’s stories all over again.

Rubbish Romeo and Juliet will play at The Pleasance Courtyard 2-15, 17, 21-28 August: 10:35am

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