Romeo and Juliet come to the Globe but not as you know it

Revolution is in the air…in the usual places. Shakespeare’s Globe presents a Romeo and Juliet like you’ve never seen it before, writes Christopher Walker.

A radical take with audience warnings that have attracted media scorn.

But it is the ‘sloganizing’ that is more intrusive.

Thankfully the strong leads shine through. Just. Ola Ince is one of a band of disruptive directors coming out of South London at present.

Her Romeo and Juliet puts the emphasis firmly on mental health.

She says without that aspect, the play doesn’t make sense to her, and, she kept a mental health team on call for her actors during the production.

She’s also worried about the audience so has insisted on pre-show warnings of “depictions of suicide, moments of violence and …drug use,” and helpline numbers are given out at the end.

This is an interesting challenge to the concept of suspending belief in the theatre, and it is certainly arguable there are mental health issues in the play.

It has inevitably aroused the anger of commentators like LBC’s Nick Ferrari who cries “where will it end,” pointing out that even “Les Miserables has a child shot on stage.”

But it is other issues with this production I find concerning.

Ince argues “Theatre is a form of activism, it should try and change things,” which is fair enough.

This production argues “When a system favours the few, the many are left with nothing but unhealthy choices.”

It hammers home its points with slogans about the evils of patriarchy and such like. Mao declared “Anyone who kneels before the shrine of … Shakespeare (is) guilty of favouring moribund capitalism” – I suspect Ince agrees.

Her painted slogans provide distracting back drops to the action. They are also read out, as incongruous scene breaks, in deadpan voices by actors who look like they’d really rather be elsewhere.

Hostage videos come to mind.

The director confesses she came to the play with resistance… I’m a Shakespeare anarchist.”

The Globe told Ince she could do “whatever she liked.”

Apart from the warnings and the slogans, this has meant cutting the play to two hours (arguably a good thing).

It has also meant turning the famous Ball scene into a deliberately second-rate Karaoke in the Capulet garage, complete with bad mikes (definitely a bad thing).

Juliet struggles to be heard as she sings her lines. With all this going on, it’s hard to coax the best from performers.

Thank God the leads are both strong. Interestingly, Ince chose two mixed race actors she says to reflect “what London has always really looked like.”

Rebekah Murrell is a refreshingly new Juliet, while Alfred Enoch plays Romeo.

Both are well cast as the skinny love-struck teenagers, and they are strong enough to overcome challenges.

Enoch gamely clambers up ladders and shouts at Juliet across the auditorium.

A strong performance comes from Dwane Walcott as Paris who is threatening and vulnerable at the same time, while Beth Cordingly is suitably frosty as Lady Capulet.

The knife crime and the street fighting are well brought out by Will Edgerton (Tybalt) Adam Gillen (Mercutio) and Zoe West (Benvolio).

Otherwise, the most successful aspect of this production is the striking costumes by Jackie Orton.

They are eye catching in a way the painted slogans are not.

For tickets go to https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/romeo-and-juliet-2021/

Main Pic: Rebekah Murrell as Juliet, Alfred Enoch as Romeo Picture: Marc Brenner