Romeo and Juliet is a story that has been told countless times on stage and screen, in almost every guise under the sun - yes I’m looking at you Baz Luhrmann. It is therefore very difficult to create a performance that feels fresh and original. Yet that is exactly what Fitchburg State University have managed to do.
At its very core Romeo and Juliet is a play that has dual-identities: whilst it is officially a Shakespearean tragedy, it wears its comic hat extremely well. The acting is polished and smooth, with scene changes happening almost instantaneously - a skill that is not only essential for the Fringe in order to keep running time down, but also helps to keep the dialogue feeling fresh. This is a highly polished production with skillful sword fights and acrobatics. Romeo and Juliet are superb and have genuine chemistry that comes across effectively when they are on stage. Particular mention also needs to go to the nurse who puts in an excellent performance and provides a shining example of how well-interpreted Shakespeare can be hilarious and feel modern; Fulgencio Capulet commands the stage as a man in his position may well have done and is, at times, truly intimidating. The blocking is clever and well-conceived, particularly in the scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet; the cast is frozen whilst the two lovers lock eyes and move around the stage, a moment that perfectly captures the starstruck realisation of being in love.
Whilst this production may not be one for the Shakespeare purists, it is undoubtedly excellent in its delivery. It is extremely funny when it wants to be and serious and moving when it needs to be. It is, in essence, the complete package.
