Arguably Shakespeare's most well-known play and the most well-known tragedy in the world, Romeo and Juliet has become a staple within the theatre community. Any lover of theatre, classic literature, or simply profound storytelling, is familiar with their tragic tale of love. As the scene opens in “fair Verona,” a plethora of cast members rush onto the stage, dressed all in black, to deliver the infamous introductory monologue.
In anticipation of the productions fast-paced, youth-driven atmosphere, the actors hop back and forth in delivery, line by line; “Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene... where civil blood makes civil hands unclean...” Included within this cluster of introductory actors are Bally Gill, playing Romeo, and Karen Fishwick, our Juliet. While they don’t deliver any lines themselves during this opening scene, they are effectively used to help move the massive, cube-like set piece that will be used throughout the play. In a conspicuous show of affection, the two share a flirtatious glance with one another before exiting the stage.
Juliet has been a well-sought after female role for actresses since Shakespeare’s day, but the same can not be said for Romeo. Before the 1700s, the play's premiere was likely between 1594 and 1596, being performed by The Chamberlain's Men. Bear this in mind: all parts were being played by dudes. At least, up until the late 1600s onwards when alterations began to be made through other creative perspectives; and the inclusion of female actresses. Regardless, the play cast considerable demands on Elizabethan theatre because of its large cast and specific set requirements. There is little information regarding the early casting of the play, however, after the Restoration, when Romeo and Juliet appeared on stage again, it was spectacularly popular, being performed 399 times between 1750 and 1800.
While the ages of the characters were significantly younger than that of the actors, by the nineteenth century, prominent Shakespearean actors were snagging consistent roles as the lovelorn teens. However, the most well-known actor of the nineteenth century, Edmund Kean, failed miserably as Romeo. Because of this, he was distraught and embarrassed, therefore creating a stigma around the character and making it one actor often tried to avoid. More fortunately for the women, virtually every important nineteenth-century actress portrayed Juliet successfully. In fact, sometimes they even played Romeo just as well. In 1845, Charlotte Cushman's portrayal of Romeo was the most acclaimed of the century. The 1800s continued a censored version of the traditional Shakespearean text, commonly omitting sexual references. Not only was it being censored, but also continued with musical adaptations while separately being performed in traditional settings. The eminent nature of the play is so intense that it was the first recorded Shakespeare play to be performed in America.
Once the twentieth century rolled around, there was "an attempt to return to the conventions of Shakespeare's theatre," as Loehiln describes. Actor, scholar, and director, William Poel was the most devoted to reviving traditional Shakespeare. Flash forward to 1960 and Franco Zeffirelli was able to free Romeo and Juliet from lyricism, pettiness, and weight of the past to present it as a vivid, youthful play. The focus was more on the youngsters of the play, not the figures of adult authority. West Side Story was also released on Broadway around the same time, helping to contribute to redefining Shakespeare's play as contemporary.
This contemporary freshness carries over into productions today as it evolves with the times. The Royal Shakespeare Company strove to "illuminate its freshness so that young audiences, many of whom will be the same age as Romeo and Juliet, could recognize themselves," says director, Erica Whyman. In order to communicate this to the audience, there was a focus on the rising knife violence in London over the past year. In the originally written play, duels were fought with swords. However, as in Baz Luhermann's rendition of Romeo and Juliet in 1996, different weapons were chosen to portray relevant violence of the time. In the 1996 film, bedazzled guns are displayed, recognizing the gang violence of the '90s. In this RSC production, all the characters have knives and holsters in order to showcase their protection and the many knife fights that will occur within the play. The eerie relevancy to London today strikes deep, as the violent knife related crimes and deaths have been staggering.
A pronounced change to the play was the number of female roles. Rather than a male-dominated cast, there are several important roles of females that were included in this version, aside from Juliet of course. The most obvious was that of Mercutio, played by Charlotte Josephine. This was an enjoyable concept to have Mercutio as a woman, and still, be vulgar, but it missed the mark. The actress was almost constantly out of breath from all of the erratic movements on stage, which was distracting to the dramatic monologues that Mercutio delivers regarding the dangers of love. A male swap for a female I particularly appreciated was Escalus, the leader of Verona. This was a refreshing perspective to show the differing delivery of the character whose city is distraught over a family feud.
The relationship between Romeo and his cousin, Benvolio, was also modernized in a subtly effective, comedic and charming way. From the effortless placements of hands, holding the back of Romeo's neck and touching his hair, hugging his waist instead of over his shoulders; all of these successfully portrayed the deep love he had for Romeo. While it was a modern production and sexuality may be easier to own in 2018, in this plays world of overt masculinity and street violence, he clearly struggled to be completely himself. I found myself truly appreciating this new depth added to his character. Josh Finan delivered his character, as Benvolio, smoothly and genuinely worked alongside Romeo to create the appearance of a long lasting friendship between the two.
It's been obvious for quite some time that the character of Romeo can very easily be portrayed as somewhat of an airhead. The performance of Bally Gill, however, held more of the charm an awkward teen often possesses. He had a swagger with charm; funny, cocky, and completely swooning over his lady love, he was able to deliver lines with fresh ease and softness. The first kiss shared between the two, presented in slow motion and under a spotlight while others danced in the background, provided insight into the genuine chemistry the two actors will convey. Gill and Fishwick were significantly closer in age to their characters than their predecessors in historical productions, but still did not match the ripe ages of their characters; sixteen and fourteen. They portrayed their characters immature infatuation of love so well that I believed the actors themselves were younger than they actually were. Often when on stage, the Nurse surprisingly stole the show. Usually, an easily overlooked character, Ishia Bennison had charisma and comedic ability to draw the eye on stage. She was a lovely and fun companion to Gill and Fishwick that further emphasized the spry, energetically engaging story.
The company was able to pay tribute to this classic and worldly renowned play while creating an emotional and narrative clarity. Thoroughly enjoyable, the doomed innocence of these timeless characters will always evolve within its storytelling, challenging our perceptions of bold theatrical choices, and maintain Shakespeare's legacy.
