 Under the impression that Eagle’s Nest Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet was being performed in repertory with their simultaneous production of The Crucible,
I was surprised that the second play of the evening had an entirely
different cast. Pleasantly surprised, as it turned out, since The Crucible had been a rather patchy affair, while the acting, direction and overall quality of Romeo and Juliet clearly presented the company’s best efforts.
Although far from the best version of the play I’ve seen, this Romeo and Juliet
is a confident, robust production with plenty of charm and some
appealing talent behind it. With a production concept that takes a
generically 1960s setting and casts the Montagues and Capulets as
youthful gangs of Rockers and Mods (or Sharps) respectively, the play
opens by setting the tone in an invented, dialogue-free scene in which
the two gangs fight over a radio and which style of music to dance to,
before degenerating into a stylised brawl. This leads into the
traditional opening scene including a rather clever pun on the line, “My naked weapon is out”.
We are treated throughout the show to some classic tunes and many
vintage costumes which, although ultimately a fairly pedestrian gimmick
(as all modern R&Js inevitably search for some recognizable
tribalism to demarcate the opposing clans), it is admittedly the done
thing with Shakespeare these days and is carried off here quite
effectively. One cannot help but notice similarities to the 50’s milieu
of R&J’s adaptation West Side Story, especially in
the use of switchblades, but this is perhaps coincidence as much as a
direct case of an influence returning to its point of origin.
Although using quite a sizable cast with no real doubling of the major
characters, the production uses an interesting approach I’ve not seen
before of conflating the four parental characters into two clan
matriarchs, so that Old (or Lord) Montague becomes Lady Montague (Kate Buttery) and, more importantly, Lady Capulet (Christina Costigan)
retains her own significant role while also absorbing all her husband’s
lines and actions as well. Although this is apparently supposed to have
significance to some kind of comment about matriarchy (which is
somewhat obscured), the surprising thing is that on a formal level it
works remarkably well. Especially in the case of Capulet, the
amalgamation of these two significant secondary characters into one is
a disarmingly effective bit of editing, even if it doesn’t particularly
add much to the drama other than putting a new twist on Capulet’s berating of Tybalt (Angus Brown),
given the commonly-perceived subtext of some kind of deeper
relationship between him and his master’s wife, now a single character.
Compared to the uniformly young and often underwhelming cast of The Crucible, Romeo and Juliet
has a variety of talent, from the sprightly young groovers playing the
incidental roles to the more seasoned performers taking on the
appropriately older characters. Phil Zachariah is rather good in the comical, hippie interpretation of Friar Lawrence, as is the fearsome Costigan as Capulet, able to switch on the charm and yet turn on her daughter with frightening malice moments later. Shane Lee is sympathetic as the doughty Benvolio, and Justin Hosking is nicely nuanced as the clueless and overdressed County Paris. Nick Barker-Pendree uses plenty of volume as the ebulliently camp Mercutio, coming across as either uproarious or cringeworthy depending on your taste, and is never dull at any rate.
As to the stars themselves, Camille Meghaizel makes a credible Romeo,
perhaps a little short on charisma but certainly unafraid to board the
character’s rollercoaster of emotion, from the wincing peaks of
besotted devotion to the troughs of indulgent tantrums. Indeed, even if
Meghaizel is perhaps a bit older than the character, he is convincing as a petulant, intemperate youth.
Understated by comparison, Syrie Payne plays Juliet very
effectively, with a gentle warmth punctuated by moments of swelling
frustration or excitement, and, of course, ultimately suicidal despair.
It is hard to fault Payne for it specifically, but this is a
prime example of a tendency that often nags at me when watching
performers tackle this famous role - a niggling aura of bland niceness.
It would be pleasing, for once, to see a Juliet that brings something
edgy to the character, to display an attitude that complements the
radical action of her character who is, ultimately, just as headstrong
as her beau.
The fun, retro style of the production is, on the whole, well-directed by Peita Collard
who has brought together some entertaining performances and, apart from
very clunky blackout/scene-changes, has staged some nicely conceived
action on a simple and versatile set.
Eagle’s Nest Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet is recommended to anyone who loves the play, or simply wants a fun, colourful and moving night out.
EAGLE'S NEST THEATRE - SEASON ONE
Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet
Venue: Auspicious Arts Incubator | 166 Sturt Street, Southbank; opposite VCA and Malthouse Theatre
Dates: May 1st - 11th | For specific times www.eaglesnesttheatre.com
Tickets: $26 / $16; groups 10 + and early-bird (pre 14 April): $24 / $14; preview & tight-arse tues & wed: $20 / $10
Bookings: 9384 6900 or e-mail:
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