PROBABLY the most quoted love story of all time, Romeo and Juliet would be surrounded by yellow crime scene tape in our time, but here Icarus Theatre Collective have bathed the story in gentle light.
The company make perfect sense of Shakespeare’s tricky language, whisking us back to Elizabethan times to experience all the rollick of sexual attraction with fights to the death, leaving even the audience breathless.
All the actors under Max Lewendel’s careful direction have a vibrant energy, particularly David McLaughlin’s witty performance of the anti-hero Mercutio.
It’s a shame he has to die so early in the plot, but his death marks the turning point when tragedy begins to overwhelm the comic aspects of the story.
Already married, Romeo moves from adolescence to manhood in a heartbeat as he kills Tybalt (a gorgeous Gabrielle Dempsey) to revenge his friend.
Kaiden Dubois lends melancholy to Romeo and when he learns of Juliet’s death, his speech changes to maturity as he resolves to die to be with his wife.
A lovely performance of a very youthful Juliet from Katrina Gibson, and her nurse Gemma Barrett spills over with energetic exuberance.
I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t give a huge mention to Zachary Holton, for his masterful performance of Lord Capulet and his beautiful lighting.
I loved those morning rays of sunshine, and he’s also listed as stage manager. Obviously a man of many talents.
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