Romeo and Juliet – New Vic Theatre and Not Too Tame

Romeo and Juliet – New Vic Theatre and Not Too Tame

Directed by Jimmy Fairhurst

Review by Jane Lythgoe for The Hitmix

Photographs courtesy of Patch Dolan

Romeo and Juliet … a wonderful performance from all the cast, enhanced by the set, the music, lighting, sounds, costumes, choreography and the whole experience, creating an atmosphere that hits you right in the stomach and you just become part of it all – it was energetic, poetic, atmospheric and simply … beautiful.

Russell Kane and Natalie Casey were the perfect choice to play the title characters – as someone who loves them both, I was intrigued to see how they would fit into the roles, and they exceeded my expectations – Russell’s ultra sharp brain took every opportunity, sometimes with just a glance or a smile, to bring the fun to the fore, whilst also staying completely immersed in the story.  Natalie’s ability to show every side to Juliet vocally and to command the stage with her energy and agility was breath taking.  So, Russell and Natalie did command a lot of attention –  no apologies needed because they are the title characters and performed impeccably – their physical loveliness, especially combined, is undeniable. But a cast needs more than two stars, and we certainly saw a magnificent cast for this production – all bringing their characters to life and truly establishing their position and significance in the story.  A wonderful cast who were so obviously comfortable with each other on stage, and the audience participation and inclusion was incredible.

It is more an experience than a performance, the moment you arrive at the theatre it all starts to happen … we all know the story … two rival families  … so challenge, hostility and conflict were in the air before the play even started.  But the love story shone through – the scenes between Romeo and Juliet were, literally, quite breath taking – so beautifully done – and it is no surprise that there is an ‘intimacy co-ordinator’ namely Kim Wright who ensured that the audience were captivated but not uncomfortable.

It is a wonderful night out, running through every possible emotion – laughter, smiles, joy, excitement, amazement …. And then sadness and indeed tears.

You don’t need to know Shakespeare-speak or know the story of Romeo and Juliet to appreciate and understand this play – it is set later in their lives and is a very clever script and performance.  But if you do appreciate the original, you will pick out all of the important quotes.

This is an absolute 5 STAR performance, and any ‘New Vic Regulars’ will know that they always get every detail right …. But this performance of Romeo and Juliet was a new level of extraordinary …. “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” Romeo

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I was very fortunate to speak to the very talented  Lizzie Hopley (Capulet) and David Nellist (Montague and Paris) a few weeks ago …  I broke it down for radio and you can listen to it here – they are both fabulous and after speaking to them, it was an absolute joy to watch them perform.

LISTEN BELOW …..

An Introduction to Romeo and Juliet

A bit about Lizzie and David

Lizzie and David’s take on Russell and Natalie

The play as a whole