Theatre Review
Romeo and Juliet
By William Shakespeare Director – Timothy Sheader Open Air Theatre - Regent's Park 2 June - 2 August 2008
A review bySimon Clancy for EXTRA! EXTRA!
Love is in the air, as it were, as the Open Air Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet opens what promises to be a season of much merriment in Regent’s Park, on a beautiful summer’s evening. Of course, everyone knows the story: Romeo Montague (Nicholas Shaw), a young scamp with a rebellious streak, falls for virgin-innocent Juliet Capulet (Laura Donnelly), against the better judgement of their two feuding families. It is a tale as old as the hills; one artistic-director Timothy Sheader plays pretty much straight down the line, bar some contemporary 1950s slick-back hair-do’s, ensemble sequences involving fluid knife-play, and a slice of physical theatre symbolising the unfolding tragedy. It’s almost a take on West Side Story… However, this is merely an adequate rendition of Shakespeare’s most familiar text, with an outstanding turn from the elegant Laura Donnelly as Juliet its only real saving grace. Donnelly’s impassioned performance helps give the production weight, and especially during the second half, her greater sense of the heartache enveloping both herself and Romeo elevates an otherwise stuttering two-and-three-quarter hours. Conversely, Shaw’s Romeo skips around the stage, showing few real signs of the suffering his character undergoes during what should be an intense final act. Claire Benedict’s Nurse, also, often comes across whiney and irritating, negating the maternal warmth and eccentricity that is surely the character’s true nature. The show’s lighting, furthermore, is functional in its naturalism as opposed to distinctive, and similarly its soundtrack, which is a mix of upbeat Latino acoustic numbers, and traditional music. Sheader’s promise to ‘challenge [our] expectations’ in the programme notes, therefore, isn’t always lived up, and a more inspired direction might have furthered what is almost a perfect setting for Shakespeare.
Box Office: 0844 826 4242 or tickets online at
Mon-Fri & Sat matinees - £33, £28, £22, £19, £10 Premium seats: Mon – Fri & Sat matinees £40 Open Air Theatre
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