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Shakespeare’s Globe presents
Romeo and Juliet
Ellie Kendrick and Adetomiwa Edun Photo by Kurt Egyiawan
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Dominic Dromgoole
Shakespeare’s Globe
Midnight Matinee – Friday 12 June 23 April – 23 August 2009
A review by David Hermann for EXTRA! EXTRA!
It’s probably been said before, but it’s important to remind ourselves, so here it is again: Juliet and Romeo are drippy, shallow characters. Anyone lamenting lack of depth in these monumental dullards must acknowledge Shakespeare’s notorious disinterest in his romantic leads. Claudio and Hero, Troilus and Cressida, Ferdinand and Miranda - all of them are the kind of two-dimensional, gushingly smitten love-zombies nobody wants around at a dinner party. From a literary perspective this is interesting because it brings out the colours of those beautifully woven, cynical, edgy, supporting characters, but seen in performance it presents a severe problem. Directors and lead actors have to work extra hard in order not to stultify their jaded audiences with woozy, monotonous declarations of juvenile passion. I’m saying this, of course, to excuse the lackluster acting of Ellie Kendrick and Adetomiwa Edun, whom Dominic Dromgoole has seen fit to jinx with the curse of the title roles. The two actors are beyond reproach in their talent and capacity for intelligent, sensitive performances (Kendrick’s portrayal of Anne Frank in the BBC’s recent adaptation is sublime,) but in this year’s production at the Globe they miss every opportunity to add depth to their flimsy parts, and their unvaried renditions dampen the mood of an otherwise potent and engaging show. The main flaw of this production is that the two lovers never achieve intimacy. We want to see them transfixed by each other at the masked ball, we want to feel the unspeakable pain caused by the distance between them in the balcony scene, we want them clawing at each other and refusing to let go after the one, steamy night they spend together and we want to feel their horror at discovering each other lifeless, holding and nestling and sobbing over the cold body of their one true love. These are the scenes that give weight to the tragedy. Without a physical sense of fierce and painful longing the horrific ending seems bland and contrived. Especially after their one intimate night, Edun and Kendrick seem inexplicably uninterested in one another. They stand on a raised platform, feet apart, merrily addressing the landscape like two British explorers on a hill in Polynesia when they should be pressing their youthful bodies up against each other with tears in their eyes. Why, Mr. Dromgoole? This is pretty much the director’s only chance to make these soggy characters work by adding some dark intensity. A chance spectacularly missed. The undisputed highlight of the show is Philip Cumbus as the play’s most enjoyable character Mercutio. Shakespeare’s verse is superbly mastered by everyone in this production and Dominic Dromgoole deserves much praise for this, but Phil Cumbus simply takes it to another level. You will rarely see a classically trained actor more comfortable with his lines. He moulds and tightens them, bounces them off the tip of his tongue, infuses each word with meaning without seeming forced, milks the comedy without seeming farcical - the production is worth every penny just for this wonderful young actor’s performance. What a pity Mercutio gets snuffed - although his defiant, nonchalant death really puts the cherry on the cake. Mercutio is so easy to get wrong, but Cumbus stays on the right side of bawdy all the way through. Such a pleasure to watch. Although this production is an unfortunate catalogue of missed opportunities, everyone involved does a great job. Edun and Kendrick need to be redirected urgently, but their immense talent remains clearly visible underneath a veil of staleness. I look forward to following their careers. Mr. Edun will play Hamlet one day, and it will be a historic performance. For now, however, this show is only worth your money if you haven’t seen Romeo and Juliet very often. If you know the play well it will be annoying and tiresome to spot this loveless production’s few but serious flaws.
shows start at 7.30pm Tickets £5.00 - £33.00 Shakespeare's Globe
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y Couzens