Star crossed lovers all right, but this isn’t the Montagues and the Capulets. In fact, far from it … and neither are we in historic Verona. Romeo & Julie is set in contemporary Splott, a district south of Cardiff and concerns two decidedly different 18 year olds.
Romy is a single father and school dropout who never learned to read. He lives with his straight talking, alcoholic mother who wants him to put his daughter, Neve, up for adoption. Julie is a hardworking and gifted brainiac, with a strong sense of self belief. She is looking to secure entry to Cambridge University in her chosen discipline, physics. It is something she has pursued vociferously since she was 12. She lives with her father and stepmother, after her birth mother died when she was just two.
Romy and Julie meet by chance and, in a classic case of opposites attracting, are immediately drawn to one another. He is a pragmatist with little to no prospect of furthering himself. She dreams of doing great things. Life has a strange way of throwing up curve balls and so it is here, when three months after they meet their relationship takes an unexpected turn. So, exactly what is the way forward for both, especially after Julie’s father takes a desperate step?
Romeo & Julie is an intense, dramatic, engaging, entertaining and thought-provoking work from Welsh playwright Gary Owen (Iphigenia in Splott). Humour and pathos … joy and heartbreak go hand in glove, as it sets up the ultimate moral dilemma, with lives and futures on the line. What stands out to me is just how instinctive and naturalistic the whole piece is. I was instantly invested in the characters and in the journey Romy and Julie take. Bravo to writer Owen.
Director Kamarra Bell-Wykes has done a terrific job keeping it real and generating a surfeit of memorable performances. Damon Baudin is compelling and likeable as Romy, a young man who grows up quickly. Shontane Farmer is a knockout as the rational Julie, who is not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve. Belinda McClory is a scene stealer as Romy’s mother Barb, whose exemplary delivery of piercing line after line alone is worth the price of admission. Justin Hosking’s oft contorted face as Julie’s angst riddled father Col speaks volumes. Claudia Greenstone doesn’t take a backward step as Julie’s hard taskmaster stepmother Kath. She goes toe to toe with her, while still wanting the best for her.
Sophie Woodward’s staging is straightforward but effective. A two-seater couch doubles as a table and a bed, representing different scenes in the respective families’ homes. The two outer walls are either extended or angled to make more of a “V” shape, the latter generating a feeling of being closed in. It may sound like a strange thing to say, but the furniture all but grows legs and appears as another character in the work, such is its impact. A cot, pram and toy baby are important props. There’s an intimate quality about the sound design by Small Sound.
Two hours 40 minutes, plus interval, Romeo & Julie gives no beg pardons. It goes for the jugular and is all the better for it. I commend it for its insight and authenticity. It is playing at Red Stich Actors’ Theatre until 18th August, 2024.
Alex First
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- Iphigenia in Splott (Red Stitch Theatre)
- Way (fortyfivedownstairs) – theatre review
- Escaped Alone (Red Stitch) – theatre review
Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.
