LondonTheatre1

London Theatre: Tickets | Reviews | News | West End | UK Touring Productions

ATG Tickets
  • Home
  • Top Selling Shows
    • Musicals
    • Plays
      • A Christmas Carol
      • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
      • The Mousetrap
      • Witness for the Prosecution
    • Back To The Future
    • Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
    • Dirty Dancing
    • Frozen The Musical
    • Heathers
    • Jersey Boys
    • Les Misérables
    • Mamma Mia
    • Matilda the Musical
    • Moulin Rouge
    • Pretty Woman the Musical
    • The Book of Mormon
    • The Lion King
    • The Phantom of the Opera
    • Tina the Musical
    • Wicked
    • London Theatres
      • Seating Plans
      • Adelphi Theatre
      • Aldwych Theatre
      • Ambassadors Theatre
      • Apollo Theatre
      • Apollo Victoria Theatre
      • Cambridge Theatre
      • Criterion Theatre
      • Dominion Theatre
      • Duchess Theatre
      • Duke of York’s Theatre
      • Fortune Theatre
      • Garrick Theatre
      • Gielgud Theatre
      • Gillian Lynne Theatre
      • Harold Pinter Theatre
      • His Majesty’s Theatre
      • Kit Kat Club London
      • Lyceum Theatre
      • Lyric Theatre
      • New Wimbledon Theatre
      • New Wimbledon Theatre Studio
      • Noel Coward Theatre
      • Novello Theatre
      • Old Vic Theatre
      • Palace Theatre
      • Palladium
      • Phoenix Theatre
      • Piccadilly Theatre
      • Playhouse Theatre
      • Prince Edward Theatre
      • Prince of Wales Theatre
      • Richmond Theatre
      • Savoy Theatre
      • Shaftesbury Theatre
      • Sondheim Theatre
      • St Martin’s Theatre
      • Trafalgar Theatre
      • Vaudeville Theatre
      • Victoria Palace Theatre
      • Wyndham’s Theatre
  • News
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
  • UK Shows
    • Alexandra Theatre
    • Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
      • Norman Bragg Studio
    • Brighton Theatre Royal
    • Bristol Hippodrome
      • Bristol Theatre Seating Plan
    • Edinburgh Playhouse
    • Glasgow Theatre Royal
    • Grand Opera House York
    • Granville Theatre
    • King’s Theatre Glasgow
    • Leas Cliff Hall
    • Liverpool Empire
    • Manchester Opera House
    • Manchester Palace Theatre
    • Milton Keynes Theatre
    • New Theatre Oxford
    • New Victoria Theatre Woking
    • New Wimbledon Theatre
    • New Wimbledon Theatre Studio
    • Princess Theatre Torquay
    • Regent Theatre Stoke
    • Rhoda McGaw Theatre
    • Richmond Theatre
    • Stockton Globe
    • Sunderland Empire
    • Swansea Arena
    • Victoria Hall Hanley Stoke
  • Newsletter
  • West End
  • Theatre Breaks
Home » London Theatre News » Review of Shakespeare’s R&J at the Tabard Theatre

Review of Shakespeare’s R&J at the Tabard Theatre

July 16, 2015 Last updated: July 5, 2017 1:14 am By Liz Dyer

Shakespeare R and JI’ve seen a few versions of Romeo and Juliet over the years. As one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, it must have been performed countless times around the world, with each production trying to put its own unique twist on this well-worn tale of star-crossed lovers. But even so, I’ve never seen an adaptation quite like Shakespeare’s R&J.

The play was written by Joe Calarco almost twenty years ago, and has since been performed all over the world, including the USA and London’s West End. This new production by Chapel Lane Theatre Company, directed by Christopher Harvey, began life as an amateur production at Stratford upon Avon in 2014, and is now resident until 8th August at the intimate Tabard Theatre.

Four students at a strict boys’ boarding school find an old copy of Romeo and Juliet, and read extracts to each other after class, with each taking on one or more of the characters. But what starts as a play within a play soon becomes much more complicated, and it’s difficult to determine where Romeo and Juliet ends, and real life begins. As two of the boys grow closer, all four must confront their own emotions. There are moments of joy, of violence and of unbelievable tension. But as the morning approaches, and their strict daily routine beckons, will the boys remember what they’ve been through together, or will it be a mere dream to be brushed aside as nothing?

Two of the actors – James Burman and Richard Hall – are reprising their roles from the play’s previous run at Stratford, while Alexander Morris and Jeremy Franklin are new additions to the cast. I had to look up in the programme which was which, though, because I genuinely couldn’t tell. All four young actors seem comfortable with their roles, and the gamut of emotions that each demands. Richard Hall and Jeremy Franklin have perhaps the more demanding task, as their characters struggle to understand and deal with the romantic relationship developing between their two friends.

R&J is a play about life and love, growing up and figuring out who you are. But it’s also a testament to the enduring relevance of Shakespeare’s work. A group of teenage boys, particularly one so indoctrinated in traditional gender roles, seems the least likely to identify with one of the world’s greatest love stories. And yet their sniggering and masculine posturing very quickly gives way as the power of the text takes hold – a reminder of why we still pay to see Shakespeare’s plays 500 years later.

As their two worlds begin to merge, the boys rearrange their school furniture to create the set for their drama, making particularly effective use of a length of red fabric during the violent scenes. A knock on the door following Tybalt’s murder could be the law looking for Romeo, or a teacher coming to discipline the students; the two stories are so intertwined by this point that it’s impossible to unravel them.

The play has a new ending, added by Joe Calarco to make its conclusion a little less bleak… but this is still Romeo and Juliet, after all, so don’t expect to walk out laughing. Of all the adaptations I’ve seen, this is certainly the most unique, and possibly the most moving – maybe because it touches on issues that still exist in our modern society, and consequently feels like more than ‘just a story’. There’s certainly a lot of food for thought to take away from this enjoyable production, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys their Shakespeare with a bit of a twist.
4 stars

Review by Liz Dyer

“Many people think that “Shakespeare’s R&J” is just another version of Romeo and Juliet. It isn’t! The play is about four schoolboys in a strict boarding school who just happen to find an old copy of Romeo and Juliet and read extracts from it. Through the “reading” of Shakespeare’s words, the boys embark on a voyage of self-discovery and throughout the evening we see the boys likes and dislikes, their friendships and relationships, their hates and jealousies. In a way we are watching boys becoming men and, by the end of the evening, life for one of the boys will never be the same again.”

AT THE TABARD THEATRE
FROM 30th JUNE TO 8th AUGUST 2015
Shakespeare’s R&J
30 June – 8 August 2015
Tue – Sat 7:30pm
Sat Matinees 4pm
Sun Matinee 2pm
Tickets £17/£15
The performance lasts two hours including a 15 minute interval
http://www.tabardweb.co.uk/

Thursday 16th July 2015

Black Friday Ticket Offers

Latest News & Reviews

Odyssey: A Heroic Pantomime at Jermyn Street Theatre

Is it a good or a bad thing when there are audible groans at … [Read More...]

World Premiere of new musical ‘Wild About You’ March 2024

Wild About You is a new musical with music and lyrics by Chilina … [Read More...]

Constella Music 10th Anniversary Concert at Sadler’s Wells

The compositions of Constella Music’s artistic director Leo Geyer are, … [Read More...]

John Bishop announces new 57 date UK tour for 2024 – Back At It

Comedy superstar John Bishop is getting Back At It – doing what he … [Read More...]

Ballet Nights 003 at The Lanterns Studio Theatre, London

There are already firm favourites in the Ballet Nights collection of … [Read More...]

Oh What a Lovely War at Southwark Playhouse | Review

Oh What A Lovely War was the brainchild of the legendary theatre maker … [Read More...]

Titanic the Musical at the Bridewell Theatre | Review

Twenty-one named characters plus an eleven-strong ensemble would make … [Read More...]

Copyright www.LondonTheatre1.com
By using our website you’re confirming that you’re happy to accept our use of cookies.
Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising - About Us - Newsletter - Contact Us