In a return to the Almeida Theatre after a triumphant awards season, Rebecca Frecknell directs a new production of Romeo and Juliet, stripping the story back to pure performance and emphasising the soaring highs and chilling lows of this romance as old as time…

It’s clear that the headlines of this production were Frecknell’s trademark atmosphere, and it’s very hard not to compare it to the likes of Cabaret and Streetcar at this point as the productions are incredibly similar. But is this now getting in the way of the story for the sake of a streamlined portfolio? At times during this production, we found ourselves questioning whether the choices made were story or character driven, or simply for aesthetic reasons. This was never actively taking away from our enjoyment of the piece, just something that was clear to us throughout. Certain aspects of the show including it’s lack of set, muted colour palette and movement driven staging were so akin to previous work. We feel that this deserved to stand more as its own piece

Yet as a director of performance, Frecknell has been able to, at times, mould this show into what seems like a modern play that has been translated into Shakespearean language. The performances of romantic leads, Toheeb Jimoh and Isis Hainsworth, shine through though, with the chemistry and genuine yearning of modern young love. Their innocence is something that we as, an audience, actively willed to succeed and despite us all knowing the ending, we were, for a moment able to suspend our disbelief in the inevitable and root for this couple.

What this production also succeeds in is driving home the realities of the story. The one-act structure emphasises the haste at which events took place that led to disaster and allows the drama of this to be explored to its full potential, shown incredibly well in scenes featuring Jamie Ballard and Amanda Bright as Lord and Lady Capulet. Their interpretations of the parental relationships with Juliet are able to uniquely expose how chilling the text can be at times with strong choices, particularly by Ballard.

Sound design helps to define these moments, with Gareth Fry once again proving why he has so many awards with an acute sense for when to be subtle and when to solely define moments of the production. The choice to use of the ‘Dance of The Knights’ (known to the layman as The Apprentice theme tune) as a recurring motif for the more movement driven moments is also inspired.

This atmosphere is also reinforced by clearly defined staging and cutting yet ever simplistic lighting design by Lee Curran. Managing to create clear portraits with few fixtures, the effect is brilliant. And by the end of the final scene, what is left is soft (like the light through yonder window breaks) and although this production strangely opts to cut any story after the death of Juliet (including the Montague/Capulet reconciliation), leaving the audience unsure as to whether the play has ended or not, the way the stage is left once the cast have taken their bows serves as a reminder that love can still burn on.

While we greatly enjoyed this piece, we found it to rely upon a prior knowledge of the story and its themes so along with our recommendation, we also advise a dive into previous productions to fully appreciate the nuances of this one.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Callum Wallace

Romeo and Juliet plays at the Almeida Theatre until 29 July, with further information here.