Romeo & Juliet -★★☆☆☆
A tale almost as old as time, revitalised in this very ambitious and highly original rendition.
Hackney Empire becomes fair Verona, and in the infamous monologue, the narrator breaks down the conflict between the Montagues and Capulets before thrusting us in the centre of the drama.
On a stage glossed with a black and green fern design, the two rivalling families make their hatred for the other known. Incorporated into the text are contemporary scenes from real life political debates in the Houses of Parliament featuring the likes of Nigel Farage and Priti Patel, on two portable screens, to drive home the message that the historical beef is indeed political.
We then witness the first of many musical numbers that distinguish this production from other versions of Romeo and Juliet: it’s RnB and Hip-Hop interporlations feel Hamilton-esque, made up of original pieces composed by That’s A Rap (Keiren Hamilton-Amos and Corey Weekes).
Our Romeo is played by Kyle Ndukuba, and it is difficult to believe that this is his professional debut. His command of the stage and the gargantuan role was truly commendable. As the play's lead he is endlessly energetic, and takes leadership with ease. He owns the character, potentially over the top at times, but earnest and thougtful, meticulous. His perfomance is perfectly punctuated by Andre Antonio as Benvolio, who is charming and smooth, matching the energy of all his scene partners, effortlessly being the standout without being overpowering.
This version of Romeo and Juliet perfectly embodies the youthfulness of the titular characters that is sometimes lost in other takes of the classic story. Romeo is literally head over heels for Juliet Mia Khan, throwing himself on the floor in a fit of romantic obsession for Juliet, with all the same energy he had for Rosalind just moments before. Juliet falls hook, line and sinker bashfully singing words of extreme devotion to her new acquaintance. It feels almost absurd to hear the performers refer to each other as husband and wife, capturing their innocence and naivety in a humourous and convincing way. It is genuine puppy love, and both actors do well to bring a level of seriousness to the characters, without aging them In the second act, the characters mature, as the plot and their ultimate tragedy befalls them, holding each other in a warm embrace that is quite touching.
Despite some strong perfomances, as a production, Romeo and Juliet was disjointed and lacked cohesion. The musical numbers showcased impressive musical talent notably from the band and Khan but for the most part, made no real impact. They did bring a vibrancy that was occasionally necessary as the energy from some of the characters was lacking but the musical numbers were far too frequent towards the end of the play. Content wise, a lot of the songs were very on the nose, bordering on unecessary and considering how true to text the script was, the contemporary nature of the lyricism did not mesh well with the dialogue. As a whole, there was a lack of consistency in costume, or staging and it was difficult to gauge what aesthetic, theme or time period the play was going for. Additionally, some of the supporting characters seemed out of sync with each other in quite significant moments. One particular scene that comes to mind is Lord Capulet’s response to Juliet’s “death” where, there was no real emotional reaction, and it felt more like he was reprimanding her for inconveniencing him with her dying. Ultimately it did not feel like a unified piece, and failed to maintain a momentum that kept the audience engaged.
No show is 100% perfect, and Hackney Empire’s Romeo and Juliet has potential as elements of the play were good perhaps independently of each other, but together it struggled to find its feet. However, Ndukuba and Antonio’s performances and chemistry were memorable, and it would be a joy to watch them again.
Romeo and Juliet is presented by Hackney Empire, Belgrade Theatre and Bristol Old Vic, and was showcased at Hackey Empire from 26 – 28 April.
By Melody Adebisi.
