Search

Saved articles

You have not yet added any article to your bookmarks!

Browse articles

GDPR Compliance

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service.

Romeo & Juliet

 
Richard Beck Review by Richard Beck 3 Published: 20 Jun 2026 Minack Theatre, Porthcurno Show Dates: 15 Jun 2026-18 Jun 2026

The Duke’s Theatre Company has a splendid set they take on tour with them for Romeo & Juliet, but they forgo the joy of that at the Minack Theatre, where the cliff-edge setting of the limestone theatre provides a spectacular substitute.

A secure production enhanced by the setting

A large pavement forms the piazza, pillars suggest city buildings and wealthy homes, a staircase adds a note of grandeur and, overlooking all, the balcony with its columnar balustrade. It is a physically demanding stage that requires careful timing to make exits and entrances up flights of steps. Director Joseph Pitcher’s response is to create a simple yet highly physical production that uses the spaces for Dani Mac’s sword fights, dances and the multiple locations of the play. The period costumes by Diego Pitarch stand out against the grey stone, with burgundy and brown for the Montagues and blues and whites, Franciscan habits, uniforms of office and matronly outfits scattered among the others.

The production is an edited version of the text with some added songs. These entertain in the main body of the play, but turning the Prince’s final speech into a solo number that might conclude a musical loses the impact of its woeful words and feels oddly out of place. With a cast of only six there is considerable doubling up, with some lines transferred from one character to another, particularly through the removal of Lord Capulet and the transfer of his material to Lady Capulet.

Not so for the eponymous leads. Bursting with energy and passion, the youthful Alfie Jameson launches himself wholeheartedly into playing Romeo. Forever emotionally gesticulating, he embraces the space and is always on the move. Meanwhile, Molly Marr Johnson’s Juliet expresses the dreams, frustrations, subjugation and anguish of a girl trapped in circumstances beyond her control. In both cases, vocal delivery tends to be pitched at an intense monotone level that denies moments of quiet reflection and introspection. The setting might encourage the former, but face mics make the latter possible. However, a modern soundscape by Rob Millett sensitively accentuates key moments.

With scheming innocence and a basket of suspect herbs and flowers, Joshua Murara devoutly manages the intricacies of the plot as Friar Laurence, while also doubling as Benvolio. Performances are well balanced, with Emily Juler playing both a homely Nurse and a stern Prince, and Sam Claridge effectively contrasting the dreamy Paris with a feisty Tybalt. Joe Carrick plays an appropriately mercurial Mercutio before undertaking a transformation into Lady Capulet. While consistent with the Shakespearean practice of men playing female roles, Carrick comes across more as a panto dame or Widow Simone without the clogs, powerfully asserting her presence and determination as an outraged mother.

For those unfamiliar with the play, it is a secure production enhanced by the setting, but others may watch it hoping for a more imaginative interpretation.

Related to this article:

Location:

Performances

The Blurb:

Two hearts. One fate. A timeless love reborn.

The Duke’s Theatre Company presents Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, a bold reimagining of the iconic tragedy directed by Joseph Pitcher. Pitcher’s acclaimed credits include My Fair Lady at The Mill at Sonning, Bard from the Barn at the Barn Theatre Cirencester, and The Winter’s Tale at Theatre on the Bay in Cape Town.

This vibrant production also features original music by award-winning composer Rob Millett, whose previous commissions include Ballet Rambert, the National Theatre, and Shakespeare’s Globe.

Blending dynamic staging, evocative sound, and the enduring power of Shakespeare’s verse, this retelling illuminates the passion, peril and youthful intensity at the play’s core, inviting audiences to rediscover the world’s most famous star-crossed lovers.

Website