| ROMEO AND JULIET - review |
| Written by Sian Rafferty |
| Wednesday, 04 August 2010 17:10 |
 It’s a story as old as time itself. True love, the purest, most soul shattering and earth spinning love, is only given to those who are destined to lose it. It’s the foundation for all the best stories, and more than that, it’s a golden dream that every little girl and boy has grown up believing in. It doesn’t matter if it happened in Ancient Rome with Antony and Cleopatra, medieval times with Tristan and Isolde, New York with Tony and Maria, windswept 19th England with Cathy and Heathcliff, or ever blooming Jack and Rose on the Titanic, it’s a story we have been told over and over. And this particular story, this story to end all stories, just so happens to be set in a little town called Verona. The Auckland Theatre Company are the latest to take on this revered masterpiece, adding their own sass and flair to the wordy tale - ‘ROMEO AND JULIET’. And as it is a modern twist, expect plenty of pop-culture references and dance numbers. The biggest shock was perhaps Romeo’s (Michael Whalley of ‘Legends Of The Seeker’) less than gentlemanly behaviour. As with all the best reinterpretations of classics, when you are given a framework of words, it is action and tone which you get to have the most fun with. And believe me, Whalley plays Romeo like a lusty and cheeky fawn, completely tipping the idea of a loyal and strapping knight in armour which rides into Juliet’s sheltered life, turning her world upside down on its head. On the other hand, Juliet (Brooke Williams of ‘The Pillowman’, ‘The Crucible’, and ‘Go Girls’) seems like a young girl, her heart beating like a little bird, forever giggling and fretting over the idea of love. At the start I was disappointed, their love seemed nothing more than a fleeting fancy, definitely not worth the tragic ending.  However, the more I watched, the more I came to realise this was the real tragedy and in fact genius of the reinterpretation. These are two people who had everything in front of them, who in their youth, lived in the whirlwind moment and gave everything they had unconditionally to each other. There is nothing more momentous and poetic. I also believe that Shakespeare would have been mighty proud of ATC’s modern take on the play. I once took an English paper at University, and it only took me a few lectures to realise that Shakespeare was not the noble patron of honour I always thought he was, but rather a bawdy, bar client who was the master of double entendre. The modern sizzle, hip-thrusting and cross-dressing, would probably have been right up his alley. Other players include the ridiculous Mercutio (Kip Chapman) who sure pulls of heels better than I ever could, who delivers the infamous Queen Mab speech with equal intensity and absurdity. Romeo’s young cousin, Benvolio (Dan Musgrove) who constantly tries to do the right thing for his cousin Romeo, is endearing and offers some of the lighter comedic moments. Geraldine Brophy - legendary Shorty Street star - as Juliet’s nurse, has a cheeky grin and an all-knowing glint in her eye. The entire ensemble cast fits together, all playing their part in the demise of the young lovers beautifully. There are certain things in life that every human has a responsibility to see at least once. And ‘Romeo And Juliet’ is definitely one of those works of genius. It’s all the more important as this is our own out there, kiwis acting out a story which has echoed in narrative, music and song throughout the ages, right down to our modern times. HEARTOMETER: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [ out of 10 ] YOU WILL LIKE, IF YOU LIKE: Anything from ‘Moulin Rouge!’ to ‘Twilight'. Basically any love story has its heart in this torturous tale. WATCH: The sixties film version of the play for the most direct re-telling, or Baz Luhrmann’s more modern one for some Leonardo DiCaprio/Claire Danes magic.  |
