Romeo & Juliet (Regent's Park)
Rating: 
Verdict: Abridged eyesore
The good news is that the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park is back in business. The bad news is that although their opening show is mercifully short, it's also an eyesore rendition of Shakespeare's hot-blooded tale of star-crossed passion.
Set designer Naomi Dawson has turned the leafy bower into a wasteland with scaffolding and rubble that's supposed to represent a post-earthquake Verona.
It's a ruse concocted by director Kimberley Sykes, who spotted that Juliet's nurse mentions an earthquake in an early speech, and it's meant to chime with the way we feel now after Covid.
All this and more on 'the patriarchy' is set out by Sykes in a £5 programme, where she recounts her impeccable beliefs as a social crusader.
She even draws a seemingly serious connection between CAPitalism and Juliet's surname 'CAPulet'. Sadly her sincerity as a political prognosticator is not matched by her skills as a theatrical director.
The good news is that the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park is back in business. The bad news is that although their opening show is mercifully short, it's also an eyesore rendition of Shakespeare's hot-blooded tale of star-crossed passion. Pictured: Isabel Adomakoh Young as Juliet and Joel MacCormack as Romeo
She has stripped away inconvenient chunks of text, including the famous prologue, to ensure the promised 'two hours' traffic' of the play comes in at an even shorter 110 minutes (and there's no interval).
The result is highlights without momentum, atmosphere, danger, or even enmity, between Romeo and Juliet's warring families.
Multiple levels of grim scaffolding mean the actors' energy is dissipated across the stage, and if you blink you may miss the weepy climax.
On the upside, an exceptional young talent has arrived in the shape of Isabel Adomakoh Young as Juliet. She has a spellbinding ability to switch between conflicting thoughts and maintain a strong sense of purpose and passion in her character.
Director Kimberley Sykes has stripped away inconvenient chunks of text, including the famous prologue, to ensure the promised 'two hours' traffic' of the play comes in at an even shorter 110 minutes (and there's no interval). The result is highlights without momentum, atmosphere, danger, or even enmity, between Romeo and Juliet's warring families
Physically, she's quick, too — unlike Joel MacCormack's ponderous Romeo, who seems more interested in making another speech than going off in do-or-die pursuit of the love of his life.
Styles and standards of acting are extremely variable but Cavan Clarke invests Romeo's trickster buddy Mercutio with edgy personality.
And both Peter Hamilton Dyer as the Friar and Emma Cunniffe as the Nurse demonstrate how to make the Bard sing with simple, direct performances.
Otherwise, this is a Juliet to remember in a show to forget.
And Breathe... (Almeida)
Rating: 
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