Where and when?
Romeo & Juliet runs at the Duke of York’s Theatre, until 3 August 2024.
Who’s in the cast?
Tom Holland (Romeo) is joined by Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet. Freema Agyeman (Nurse), Michael Balogun (Friar), Tomiwa Edun (Capulet), Mia Jerome (Montague), Daniel Quinn-Toye (Paris), Ray Sesay (Tybalt), Nima Taleghani (Benvolio), Joshua-Alexander Williams (Mercutio) and Callum Heinrich and Kody Mortimer (Camera Operators) complete the cast.
Tom is a global star as a result of his iconic portrayal of ‘Peter Parker’ in the box office record-breaking franchise Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home as well as the installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe including Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Holland made his stage debut as the title role in Billy Elliot The Musical (Victoria Palace Theatre).
Creative team
Jamie Lloyd!
What’s the show about?
Violent delights have violent ends.
Tom Holland is Romeo in Jamie Lloyd’s pulsating new vision of Shakespeare’s immortal tale of wordsmiths, rhymers, lovers and fighters.
Assisted performances
Audio Described – 15 July 2024
Captioned – 18 July 2024
What did I think?
I don’t understand Shakespeare and usually avoid it at all costs. But when Tom Holland was announced to play Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, I obviously joined the queue (with the rest of the world) when tickets went on sale and managed to secure great seats in the stalls for £80 each – more than I would ever usually pay (but I went for it anyway).
The reviews rolled in (which I’ve not read) and the critics seemed to hate it. But I didn’t care, because to be honest, I only wanted to see Tom.
I’d seen Jamie Lloyd’s self indulgent Sunset Boulevard earlier this year. A drinking game, where every time you saw the words ‘Jamie Lloyd’ on screen, or on a mug on someone’s dressing room table, you took a drink (and were paralytic by the end). The camera work was over used and laborious and the deadpan delivery of lines to the audience seemed wasted. The lack of set and costume also seemed a shame. However, Sunset got glowing reviews (Nichole Scherzinger was a sensation).
This time around, with Romeo and Juliet, there were no narcissistic references to the director anywhere and the cold, dark lack of set created the eeriness of the piece. The quiet delivery of dialogue felt real and of the way people would have talked in those situations. The use of cameras didn’t feel useless, it helped the audience to see into the eyes of the actors, the tears rolling down their faces, giving us a close up of the things we would otherwise not see.
This is Shakespeare at its most accessible (maybe not in ticket price). The dialogue is delivered as you would expect, but the way it is delivered makes it clear and understandable to modern day audiences. For the first time ever, I was able to follow the entire story – and they made it funny!
It feels like Jamie Lloyd has grown from Sunset Boulevard and acknowledged what worked and what didn’t when creating Romeo and Juliet and he should be applauded for that. This is an example of where camera work on stage can really work and is a sign of the times where (whether we like it or not) technology is seeping its way into theatre. Luckily, in this instance, it was a perfect integration to the piece.
I really enjoyed it and the entire audience (clearly only there to see the Hollywood star – so famous that security guards stood either side of the stage throughout) were silent throughout, totally engaged in the story being told on stage.
Where can I get tickets?
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/romeo-and-juliet/duke-of-yorks-theatre/calendar/ (if you can afford the current prices!)
