Romeo & Juliet - The Truest Tragedy

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There are some opportunities you just can't say no to. One of them is being offered to see the Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe production of Romeo and Juliet, FOR FREE! I was given standing tickets for the 31st of March press night performance at the Harold Pinter. How fitting for a first-time reviewer.

THIS DOES CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS

Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe - Romeo and Julie. Photos by Manuel Harlan

Let me just preface this review by noting that I have not seen Romeo and Juliet (even though I have performed in it) in theatres before, nor have I seen Robert Icke's previous work in person. All this aside, I thought this version of Shakespeare's most famous tragedy was incredibly beautiful and gut-wrenching at times, yet underwhelming in other moments.

Icke's interpretation of this play was filled with the "what if's?" What if the friar had delivered the message to Romeo? What if the waiter didn't spill the drink on Paris, allowing Romeo to meet Juliet? And the beautiful and heartbreaking moment near the end, what if Romeo entered the tomb and found Juliet alive? These moments were punctuated by a bright flash of light, accompanied by a continuous-counting LED clock, reminding us of how quickly the events unfolded.

A moment of appreciation for Hildegard Bechtler for her high-budget yet minimalist set and costume design that keeps us focused on the story and the acting. The 'what-if?' concept was paired with physical sliding doors that revealed and hid Romeo and Juliet's shared bed. The doors had a tomb-like quality foreshadowing the end of the play. Jon Clark is the reason for the retina-burning lights that show us brief moments of the alternative realities in this Romeo and Juliet. But his lighting design was clever and paid homage to Jupe and Sink's screen experience and rise to fame. The frontal lighting created cinematic shadows on Bechtler's limestone walls, and he created a beautiful psychedelic moment when Juliet takes Friar Laurence's potion, simulating getting high and having the major events just wash past, particularly the Nurse finding Juliet supposedly dead.

Sadie Sink is the true star of the show. You can tell she was a Broadway star. Her performance as Juliet perfectly encapsulated that teenage infatuation that is so often muddled for love. From her first moment on stage, she drew the audience in with her charisma and gorgeous still moments, and looked ethereal in the red dress she wore for the party when Juliet meets Romeo. Her ability to captivate the audience and take up space was phenomenal, and her chemistry with anyone she interacted with was off the charts. It was clear that Icke had centred the play and his vision around her, and it paid off in an absolutely stellar performance for her West End debut.

Sadie Sink on the centrepeice bed. Photos by Manuel Harlen

A huge shoutout to Clare Perkins and Noah Jupe, who hold their own as Nurse and Romeo. Both bring fresh, individual energies to the characters, making them stand out. Similarly, Jamie Ankrah and Eden Epstein make the most of their mere minutes on stage, making us feel and understand the characters' emotions instantly. John Marquez brought a charm to the Friar and made his genuine mistakes even more tragic, as they were completely avoidable.

The moments of high tension surrounding the family dynamics seemed to fall flat, losing the justification for the hate between the families, and centred more on the individual stories of Romeo and Juliet. Whilst this made sense as a directorial choice, it seemed to lower the stakes of the world surrounding them. The fight scenes felt unjustified, and Mercutio's death did not have the impact it should have. I believe Icke missed a trick in not showing a 'What if?' moment of Mercutio surviving, meaning Romeo wouldn't have killed Tybalt and would not be banished. The way Kasper Hilton-Hille played Mercutio's death almost made it feel like it would play out that way, but instead, I was left with another unsatisfying moment of his rapid decline and death. Similarly, Clark Gregg's Capulet seemed mildly miffed rather than enraged by Juliet's refusal to wed Paris, taking the tension out of the family dynamic.

Ankrah, Jalloh, Uzoka, Hilton-Hille, and Jupe in the Act 3 Scene 1 battle. Photos by Manuel Harlen

I was ready for my heart to be torn to shreds at the end, but I felt disappointed. After a beautiful montage of what could have been, with Romeo and Juliet growing old together and having their own child, tears were brought to my eyes, knowing what was to come. However, I was wrong. What I was met with instead was the beeping of an alarm clock and the booming voice of Mark Strong saying the Prince's final lines in the play. Now I understand why the beeping was there; it signalled that time was up, but it felt like someone in the audience had forgotten to turn their phone off, taking us completely out of the moment. The moment would have been more powerful without the narration, and for us to be left with Sink's living stillness as she contemplates stabbing herself before the final blackout. The final 'what if?'

After managing to wrangle seats in the Royal Circle (rather than standing), the play felt like an audiobook at times. With everything being played so downstage and what felt like it was completely directed to the stalls, the experience felt alienating. All the hard work Sink, Jupe, Perkins, and Marquez were doing to keep us invested in the story felt wasted because we, as an audience, could not see anything. There were moments when a screen would turn on so we could see the "balcony scene," and it was clear the performance was being filmed, so why were we allowed to see only some moments and miss others? I had completely missed the Queen Mab speech and the supposed shadow puppetry going on during the monologue.

After reading a little bit about Icke, he is pushing for younger members to make their way into the audience and into theatres. Whilst the language, performance, set, and concept felt fully accessible, the current prices to see the play are extortionate! Whilst this is a broader critique of West End Theatre's pricing, I felt that Icke could have taken this into consideration. Having almost the entire audience in the circle get out of their seats to watch what was playing out on stage was a flaw on Icke's end and could have been addressed during the rehearsal period or previews.

The debate against megastar casting in theatres has received a major blow. Sink and Jupe have made me feel very positive about the star casting; in fact, it feels quite fitting for these star-crossed lovers. It is the whole pull to the performance. Apart from true R&J lovers, there is no need to see another version if there aren't actors you are drawn to. Sink and Jupe are superstars in the making and would highly recommend seeing them if time and money permit.

A review by Benjamin Molalign