Sherman Cyrmu- Romeo and Juliet

Tuesday 7^th October 2014.

Fight scene, Photograph by Mark Douet.

William Shakespeare’s well-known tale of Star crossed lovers and feuding families was chosen by director Rachel O’Riordan as her debut production at the Sherman theatre Cardiff. The choice by O’Riordan to pick arguably Shakespeare’s most popular and romantic tale as her first production  was a brave choice as it is often hard to find something new or different in a piece which has been re envisioned and performed countless times.

The story itself is timeless, and this is reflected by the production's choice of setting and visual design. The set, designed by Kenny Miller made great use of the space within the Sherman perfectly; I especially liked the use of the pit to create the tomb setting of the final scenes, as well as the use of the upper stage for the famous balcony scene. The choice to give the play an urban backdrop created a volatile and edgy environment that was mirrored by the choice of costume which represented the two rival families appropriately. The use of hoodies as well as polo shirts and chains worn by some of the character’s created imagery which resonated with ideas of hooliganism. This choice of costume,  similarly in the way that West Side Story does, created  the a gang idea within the play which further adds to this theme of rivalry. The choice of music within the play was mostly modern and whilst it possibly created connections related to subject matter within both play and song, it did little to create an atmosphere within scenes. The choice of music however, ranging from dub-step, rock and hip-hop possibly would of however have appealed to younger audience members.

The stand out performance from the whole play was that of Sophie Melville as Juliet. Melville’s interpretation of Juliet created a character that I felt I could personally relate to. Melville didn’t follow the typical path that most actresses take when playing this character which created something new about the character. Melville's Juliet was in charge of her own sexuality creating a strong young woman who was not only funny at times, but appeared a lot more level headed and wiser than other interpretations of the character that have gone before. I felt that this meant during the scenes in which she contemplated death you took her actions a lot more seriously.

Sophie Melville as Juliet in Sherman Cymru's Romeo & Juliet. Photograph by Mark Douet.

I did not however agree with the interpretation of the nurse within the play. The nurse appeared more like Juliet’s friend within the play instead of her confidant and mother figure. I feel that these element of the nurse's character are  necessary within the play.  Whilst the interpretation of the character provided some light comic relief in scenes where it was needed, I felt like this character could have been played a little more subtly as it overshadowed some of the other character’s performances where it was not necessary.

The choice to make the cast a mix of both experienced and new actors created an age gap between characters which I felt made some of the relationships within the play a lot more believable, such as between Romeo and the Priest. I felt this element added to the richness of the themes within the play. The fight scenes also were well choreographed and executed by all.

The play featured a wide range of accents which I felt added colour to Shakespeare’s language. The differing accents within the play made the language come alive and made it easier to listen to. The differing accents kept the language interesting and meant that you didn’t become bored with the language sounding  similar.  I do however think that someone who was less familiar with the plot may have had difficulty possibly understanding what was being said by some of the characters such as Mercutio who spoke in a thick Scottish accent, and the Nurse who used a Jamaican accent. This could of however been solved with a better focus on diction and pace in certain scenes.

This timeless production of Romeo and Juliet set in an urban environment I feel would be perfect for young people studying the play as it interprets the language in a way that is accessible and relatable for a younger audience. It also marks a promising start for Rachel O’Riordan season at the Sherman.

The play runs till the 18^th October at the Sherman.