By William Shakespeare
Directed by John Young
Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre
Produced by Storyhouse, Chester
Til 28 August 2022
Review by Brian Gorman
‘twas a glorious English summer’s evening, as the birds
sang, and the far-off cries of inebriated yobs did pierce the warm air, and a
gentle breeze cooled our collective brow. In Chester’s majestic Grosvenor Park,
the annual Open Air summer season began with a sure-fire hit, the bard’s
greatest love story, ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Set in 1950s Italy, director John
Young’s sparkling and energetic production is full of hot-bloodied passion,
youthful vigour, and intense emotion.
Open air productions are always a liberating experience.
There’s nothing like being at the mercy of the elements and the old gods and
goddesses (thankfully, in a good mood on this warm evening), and feeling
oneself transported back in time to a more rough-hewn age. The chomping down on
chicken legs and pizza, the guzzling of real ale and the bawling of
babes-in-arms made for an olde worlde experience. All human life is here.
In the round, in the open air, and with the odd passing
aeroplane above, the acoustics are never perfect, which oft leads to a broad
style of performance. Forget Hamlet’s advice to the players, here it is
imperative to saw the air, and mouth the dialogue ‘as lief the town-crier spoke
my lines’. Shakespeare is, thus, perfect for such a green and pleasant venue. With
only a few bare wooden platforms, a couple of small tables and chairs, it is
the auditorium itself that provides the setting. Designer Jess Curtis adds some
remarkably effective touches, here and there, to add to the exotic otherworldliness
of the proceedings, particularly in the closing scenes in Juliet’s tomb. White
wooden crosses, illuminated by neon lights, looked magnificent and quite
awe-inspiring in the gathering twilight.
Actors clambered up staircases, barged their way through
large wooden gates, and often dragged an audience member or two into the
action. Nicola Blackman took the role of Juliet’s nurse, and created an
absolute whirlwind of a character. Blousy, amorous, half-inebriated, and all
too willing to ad-lib with any audience member who had been brave enough to sit
on the front row. On one occasion, she found herself being vigorously massaged
by two enthusiastic gentlemen, which had everybody in stiches (and must have added
a good few minutes to the running time!).
Samuel Awoyo made for an amiable, happy-go-lucky Romeo, with
a confident, street-wise swagger that bore a delightful resemblance to a baby giraffe.
Tall, athletic, and very modern, Awoyo had the audience on his side from the
start. Eddy Payne as Benvolio was a perfect partner for the laid-back Romeo; hyped
up to eleven, outrageous, seeming to feast on the air, and racing around like a
madman. The two made an ideal double-act, and were more than ably supported by
Haylie Jones’ Mercutio; dangerous, dynamic, and a definite risk-taker,
particularly when she leapt up on a chair, then onto a rickety table in high
heels!
Joelle Brabban as Juliet was an ethereal delight.
Mischievous, independent, and with a fiery Romany air. The scenes between the
doomed lovers worked rather well, and a particularly erotic and semi-clad
bedroom scene certainly woke up a good few of the teen-agers in the audience.
Alice Keedwell was a fearsome, yet alluring Lady Capulet;
formidable yet sensual, and first seen wearing an impressively scene-stealing
black skirt that accentuated her powerful aura. Robert Maskell perfectly
complimented her as her sworn enemy Montague, and excelled as Romeo’s trusted
mentor Friar Lawrence; a rascally old rogue with a taste for his home-brew, and
a fondness for dodgy pharmaceuticals. Molly Madigan, in her debut here, was
hugely effective as the lovelorn Petra. Madigan had great comic timing, with an
hilarious range of sly looks and facial character tics. Oliver Nazareth Aston
was extremely menacing as the hot-headed Tybalt, and disturbingly fearsome in
his fight scenes, almost shapeshifting into a ferocious and savage feline.
Fight director Kaitlin Howard gave her actors plenty to do, and there were some
genuinely effective scenes of violence and cleverly choreographed combat. More
than a few heads made contact with a variety of tables and chairs, prompting
gleeful shrieks from the youngsters in the audience.
ME and Deboe composed the subtly effective musical score,
emphasising the melancholic and tragic nature of the narrative. There were
several audience-friendly musical moments, with the cast singing everything
from Nirvana to The Eurythmics, which helped to keep things flowing nicely, and
fitted perfectly with the open-air experience.
“These violent desires have violent ends” says Friar
Lawrence, warning Romeo that his intense feelings can lead to his doom.
Director John Young perfectly balances the extreme emotions, and the tragic
consequences. A standing ovation proved that this production has it all.
Stars of the (near) future prediction: Eddy Payne (Benvolio), Joelle Brabban (Juliet).
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