Review: ROMEO AND JULIET, Globe Theatre

Shakespeare's classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet is currently being performed with an exciting and contemporary makeover at the iconic Globe Theatre, enchanting younger audiences with modern twists, an engaging diverse cast and daring BMX stunts. This performance, tailored for teenage audiences, successfully combined the timeless words of the Bard with modern flair, delivering a memorable and unique theatrical experience.

Set against the classic Shakespearean stage of The Globe Theatre, the traditional was mixed with the contemporary as the columns and theatre was adorned with graffiti and with the balcony a stage for unusual percussion instruments including drums, buckets and bicycle wheels.

The inclusion of BMX stunts injected an unexpected and electrifying energy into the performance. The marriage of Shakespearean tragedy and bicycle stunts may sound unconventional, but added a tangible tension, excitement and sense of jeopardy which really captivated the audience, especially those who were standing in the pit.

The diverse cast including Hayden Mampasi as Romeo and Felixe Forde as Juliet brought a fresh and enigmatic energy to their characters. The actors skilfully delivered the timeless words of Shakespeare while portraying their performances within a modern style. They successfully managed to make it all feel very cool, ensuring that the play felt accessible and relatable to the young spectators. Some characters genders and roles had been amended from the original play, for example a female Benvolio or the Nurse being an NHS paramedic.

With these modern twists and the added comedy given to the performance by the talented performers, unfortunately some of the tragedy of the play is lost in this production. Whilst there is tension built through well choreographed stage fighting, the focus is given to the excitement and action, and some of the quieter, more dramatic moments are less poignant and emotional than they have the potential to be. This may also have been due to the limited number of scenes between the titular characters, which meant that the passionate young love and chemistry of the two was downplayed somewhat for the benefit of the wider political family struggles.

There was a tangible energy to the atmosphere within the Globe; it was exciting and surprisingly joyful. To see this production through the eyes of the younger audience members who were in attendance was undoubtedly part of the experience.

Romeo and Juliet is at The Globe Theatre until 13 April

Photo credit: Tristram Kenton

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