Romeo and Juliet by the Brentwood Shakespeare Company at Brentwood Theatre
In fair Verona … Liz Calnan's Prologue exemplified three great strengths of this production.
Beautiful costumes, clarity of text and “two hours' traffick of the stage”.
June Fitzgerald' s production used the Brentwood stage effectively, with three doorways, and a clever balcony-cum-bedchamber.
Plenty of room for the excellent sword-play, too.
Some fine performances: the star-cross'd lovers played by Ben Sylvester, a sympathetic Romeo making the verse sound powerful and natural, and Lisa Nunn as a child-like innocent Juliet.
Richard Spong brought passion and insight to Mercutio, Matt Huddon made a compelling Benvolio. And there was a lovely, merry Nurse from Julia Stallard.
The tragic dénouement had a wonderfully lit setting for Capel's monument – the shrouded Juliet in semblance of death, soon to be united on the tomb with her Romeo.
By Michael Gray
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