British Black and Asian Shakespeare Performance Database
Romeo and Juliet (2009): Iris Theatre, St. Paul's Church
CAST INCLUDED: Sam Donnelly (Romeo); Chris Lawton (Mercutio); Louis McKenna (Tybalt); Robert Pearce (Nurse); Laura Wickham (Juliet).
This production ran from 29 May - 13 June 2009. Production information from Theatre Record; may be incomplete.
"The sun has barely taken his hat off and we're already on our third outdoor Romeo and Juliet of the season. But I doubt you'll see many others which feature the Nurse in drag, boy-band dance choreography and guest performers from the London cabaret scene. Directed by Dan Winder of Iris Theatre, this striking, riotous promenade performance takes place in the beautiful grounds of St. Paul's Church in Covent Garden and, most memorably for the final scene, inside the chapel. The action, transposed to some vaguely West Side Story inspired setting, kicks off with a rather gruesome street fight between the Montagues and Capulets, setting the 'two households both alike in dignity' speech in firmly ironic ground. The production then plunges headfirst into a dizzying procession of scuffles, tussles and nipple tassles (on press night, Misster Blanche DuBois stripped from a nun's habit to a G-string while miming [Madonna's] Like A Virgin). It's a wild party of a production that sometimes suffers from the scope of its ambition. But strong performances (particularly from Christos Lawton as Mercutio and Laura Wickham as Juliet) and a stunning setting make it one well worth going to." ~ Tamara Gausi, Time Out London, 4 June 2009, in Theatre Record 2009, Issue 11
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