Romeo & Juliet
by The Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre at the Mill Studio
Embarking on a full length Shakespearean play can be daunting for any theatre group, so it was a particularly brave choice for the Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre, most of whom may have read Shakespeare at school but few had ever performed it.
Directors Adam Forde and Lucy Betts were confident that the group could do justice to Romeo and Juliet and, after months of dedicated rehearsing, they presented six highly polished performances at the Mill Studio, Guildford.
Setting the play in the 1920s felt appropriate as a time of revolution yet afforded touches of fun. Costumes were simplified and moments of 20s music created atmosphere. When the whole troupe broke into a well choreographed dance routine at Lord Montague’s masked party, I wanted to stand up and cheer. It is a clever scene; Romeo and his friends, having gate-crashed the party, move gaily through the crowd creating little scenarios which are delightful to observe.
The first half was tremendous with good pace and moments of gaiety that tumbled into darkness as the houses of Montague and Capulet fell foul of each other. Fight scenes directed by Daniel Hill were incredibly realistic, and the whole cast worked well together, whether dancing, fighting or falling in love. The second act revealed some moving scenes from the young lovers and tangible feelings of despair from those close to them.
It is no mean feat learning Shakespeare’s lines but this young cast were almost word perfect, and any small stumbles were covered with skill and confidence. Theo Toksvig-Stewart was impressive as Romeo, delivering his lines clearly and displaying immense energy and passion. His love for Juliet, played with delightful charm by Jo Parker, was sensitively portrayed.
Cameron Manson played a convincing Mercutio, unnervingly provocative throughout the first act, yet vulnerable and tragic in his final scene.
There were so many notable performances, indeed too many to name individually. All the cast were major players in this production - they worked well together, smoothly moving from one scene to the next, concentrating on each others lines, displaying credible expressions of hate, love and despair.
In her director’s notes, Lucy Betts says, “The group has embraced the project with relish. Every member has been faced with new challenges and the cast has risen to the demands of the text with great passion.”
I think it showed. This was a remarkable production - in fact I enjoyed it so much, I bought a ticket for the following night.
Tinx Newton
