Romeo & Juliet, a HOME production at Manchester’s Victoria Baths, 10th September-4th October 2014
From the very second the show began, it was clear that this would be no bog-standard Shakespeare adaptation. Taking place in the one-hundred-and-eleven year old setting of Victoria Baths, Walter Meierjohann’s take on Romeo and Juliet really did make the most of this spectacular venue. In the opening scene, as Montagues and Capulets came to conflict on the streets of Verona, the cast emerged from the original changing cubicles that would have been used by those who swam and bathed in the building in 1903. Any fears that this particular production of Shakespeare’s tragic tale might be in any way drab or long-winded were ended immediately when the opening fight was choreographed at a breathtaking pace, keeping time with the swing style band that scored the whole show.
The audience was spilt into those who paid for seats on the balcony and those who chose to stand in the promenade. Given that the cheaper promenade tickets allowed the audience to stand in the now empty swimming pool, inches from the action on the makeshift stage, it could be argued that these people got the better deal. As the frantic opening exchanges and the early declarations of Romeo’s love for Rosaline took place, those viewing from a standing position could see everything that occurred around the room. And with such interesting and unique direction for even the most minor characters, you wouldn’t want to miss a thing.
In a performance so full of fantastic moments, it’s difficult to say what the highlights were. One of them, though, undoubtedly came via the party scene. With perhaps a little nod to Baz Lurhmann’s 1996 film, Mercutio (Ncuti Gatwa) was the scene stealer in his lavish costume and with his highly sexualised performance. But over and above his captivating display, the scene as a whole rocked with a raucous energy that is rarely seen in the theatre. Or anywhere else, for that matter. As the whole cast danced on the pool’s ancient tiles, those with promenade tickets were moved up a level to stand outside the changing cubicles. From there they were granted a bird’s eye view of the longing looks between Alex Felton’s Romeo and Sara Vickers’ Juliet. This early onset of the couple’s all-encompassing love was played with tenderness, tension, and most importantly, the levels of Shakespearean humour that many directors miss. The opening half of the play, in fact, was often hilariously funny.
Never more so than in the balcony scene: another perfectly pitched part of the play which saw Romeo darting around the tiles while Juliet declared her love to him from among those sitting on the upper levels. When Felton broke from the normal dialogue of this famous section to quote lines from The Beatles’ Love Me Do, there were a few small giggles from the crowd. When this was followed by lyrics from artists such as Beyonce and The Backstreet Boys, those giggles turned into something much louder.
After such an energetic and engaging opening hour, the audience perhaps appreciated the calmer section which saw Juliet’s nurse (Rachel Atkins) and Friar Laurence (Damian Myerscough) help the happy couple to marry in secret. Those familiar with the play will know that things soon take a turn for the worse after this scene, so it was fitting that the final moments of hilarity took place between Mercutio and Benvolio (Lewis Goody), as they laughed and joked about Romeo’s love for Rosaline. The humour finished during the fatal fight with Tybalt, played menacingly by debutant Wil Coban.
As is to be expected in any production of Romeo and Juliet, there was a much more sombre tone following the interval. This was all the more striking, however, because of the vigour with which the first half was played. With Romeo banished and Mercutio dead, the onus was very much on Juliet in the second half. Vickers may have been overshadowed by the more flamboyant actors early on in the production, but when she became the centre of attention she played the distressed lover and controlled child with aplomb.
It would be ruining the surprise to go into too much detail about how the building is used in the closing acts of Meierjohann’s adaptation, but anyone who has visited the building before will not be disappointed with the use of the rooms. It would be difficult to improve on the setting for the suicide scene. And in many ways, it would have been easy for the location to overshadow the play. But the director, the choreographer, the sound engineers, and the costume designers all deserve praise for ensuring that this didn’t happen.
And then, of course, there’s the cast. There’s barely a negative word to say about any of the acting in the play. Felton and Vickers are impressively versatile in the lead roles. Ruth Everett plays a brilliantly footballer’s wife esque Lady Capulet, and special mention must go to Griffin Stevens in his role as Peter. He is funny, droll, and effortless. Gatwa plays a Mercutio that is every bit as entertaining as Harold Perrineau’s version in the Luhrmann film. But perhaps best of all is Atkins, and her portrayal of the nurse. All of the loudest laughs were reserved for her, as was the biggest cheer during the standing ovation.
The whole team should be congratulated, though. This was as near to perfection as a play can get. If this is the kind of thing we can expect on a regular basis once HOME opens in 2015, then Manchester is in for a treat.
Fran Slater