Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Josh O’Connor, Tamsin Grieg, David Judge, Fisayo Akinade, Adrian Lester, Lucian Msamati, Deborah Findlay, Ella Dacres, Ellis Howard, Lloyd Hutchinson, Alex Mugnaioni, Shubham Saraf, Colin Tierney.
Mercutio was ahead of his time as he lay dying in the arms of Romeo, a plague has indeed been visited upon all our houses, but not the direct one you may be thinking of, but instead the beast of burden which has seen audiences and theatres changing completely their style of interaction with each other, the after effects of a life changing situation meaning that to engage with the public and give them hope in what has been a period of uncertainty.
Thankfully, any plague has the necessary antidote, and theatre can be satisfied that it has at least shown it can still operate with the right backing, and whilst the system is not perfect, it still offers the arts the means to engage with a population that has hopefully come to understand that art is not just important but vital to the soul of humanity.
It is to the empty theatre provided by the National Theatre and the ability to film the cast in such an ingenious way that makes Romeo & Juliet such an occasion to watch and digest, to feel as though there is something else out there waiting for your return rather than the incessant calls by some to defy common sense and throw society completely open again immediately once more.
Romeo & Juliet may be strife with gender and age concerns, of that there is no backing out of, however, alter the moment of alarm, and the discourse and narrative is modified in its use of language to the point where the beauty of the play truly stands out. The star-crossed lovers from houses at war typify the warning we offer our offspring to not fall in lust with the wrong person, that the gap is often far too wide to be bridged.
It is in this epic cautionary tale that Jessie Buckley and Josh O’Connor as the eponymous lovers truly engage with the audience; and despite it being one directed by the lens of cameras that act almost as voyeurs, sneaking in on the most breathless of conversations and secret moments of desire and treachery, of pain, anger and death, the sensation is one that thrills the soul, the very essence of what it means to see theatre in action.
The planning for every movement must have been astonishing, but one that on screen stands up to examination well, and with tremendous support from David Judge as Tybalt, a part that further provides the dominance of the actor as Liverpool audiences especially would know from his performances in the plays Scrappers at the Playhouse and Sparkplug at the Unity Theatre, Lucian Msamati as The Friar, and Tamsin Grieg as Lady Capulet, the play, adapted by Emily Burns and directed by Simon Godwin, is one of powerful enclosed drama and depth of feeling.
An astonishing film, one that frames theatre at its most ingenious, Romeo & Juliet is a must see for all who are willing to do all they can to keep theatre alive.
Ian D. Hall