12 March – 5 April
As one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s nothing more to say about these star-crossed lovers. But director Corey Campbell’s adaption is so much more than just a love story. As Romeo recounts his famous line “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet” we are thrown into a world of conflict driven by identity politics. One that seems all too familiar to this 2025 audience.
With such modern day parallels we could see Romeo and Juliet in its basic form and yet still see its relevance. However, Campbell and his talented ensemble take the lyricism of the original text to dizzying new heights. Combining Shakespeare with the more contemporary rhythms of grime and drill, Campbell proves that Shakespeare is not just a relic of the past, but a living breathing art form for all.
The notorious rival families of Montague and Capulet are re-imagined as political parties. The performance opens with the heads of the family behind screens showing Nigel Farage and Priti Patel. Campbell wastes no time demonstrating our own politically polarised society where whoever shouts the loudest gets the limelight. Neither willing to hear the other.
But we’re not drawn into the earnestness of this for too long. Romeo (Kyle Ndukuba – vibrant) and his crew: Mercutio, (Dillon Scott-Lewis) and Benvolio (Andre Antonio) bring a boisterous and playful energy that transports us into their world of rose-tinted glasses (literally) and teenage angst.
Juliet (Mia Khan), can often be overlooked in the more traditional versions, but Khan brings a confidence and assertiveness to the role, and her outstanding voice holds the audience. Together with the rambunctious performance of the nurse (Natasha Lewis), they make a mould-breaking pair.
The cast launch themselves in and out of the musical interludes woven throughout the performance. Romeo and his crew’s smooth transition from the classic text to rap is a worthy reminder of how Shakespeare’s lyricism can so easily be brought into the modern day. The musical accompaniment (delightfully, some instruments were performed by the cast) only engaged us further with the melodrama of these star-crossed lovers. And yet it didn’t feel melodramatic at all. Instead, the performance truly brought home to its audience a message that feels all too prevalent: In a world of conflict it is the youngest and most innocent who are often the ones who pay.
Corey Campbell’s reimagining of this classic successfully balances the magnetism of new love with a serious message – when a nation is so divided, only in grief can it truly come back together. This epic performance takes Shakespeare’s classic to electric new heights.
★★★★☆ Beth Teverson, 14 March 2025
Photo credit: Nicola Young
