The Brechtian-style exposure of the Heath Ledger Theatre, met with Y2K costume stylings and a pop soundtrack, sees WAAPA’s Romeo and Juliet make a far departure from the original 16th-century production.
Directed by Tom Healey, this production leans into the playful and more comedic elements of the story, which can easily be lost when focusing solely on the fighting and feuding. I very much enjoyed the characterisation of Mercutio, Tom Kelly, and Benvolio, Daniel Halmarick, as cheeky bros who love an absolute bender of a night and getting their friend Romeo, Griffin McLaughlin, into precarious situations. If you haven’t had a night out that’s ended up with you taking temporary guardianship of an orange cone, you’re doing something wrong.
Holly Samaniego’s Juliet and Griff’s Romeo also bring out the comedic and endearing sides of their characters, to the point that you can almost justify the characters declaring their love and getting married within 24 hours of knowing each other. Really, as an audience, we’re just lulled into a false hope that maybe there will be a different ending for these hopeless lovers instead of their brutal demise.
Romeo and Juliet. Photo credit Stephen Heath.
As a whole, this cohort are strong performers with a clear affinity for the text. Their individual deliveries of Shakespeare’s poetry were consistently done in a way that heightened my understanding of the play’s key messages. Alongside our star-crossed lovers, there were a few other standout performances to note. Sarah Hindle’s broad Aussie accent and approach to Nurse was a joy to watch each time she stepped on stage, especially with Woolies shopping bags in tow. I see many comedy roles going her way in the future. Sophia Watts’s portrayal of Lady Capulet was piercing and convincing, and I was drawn to her in each scene she entered.
I enjoyed the aforementioned bretchian approach, visualised through the exposure of the stage’s wings and inner workings, stage managers entering and exiting with torch spotlights, the more civilian style of costuming and other elements. It was successful in many ways but the way deaths were directed didn’t quite land with me due to the overt use of blood capsules which were used more so symbolically than conventionally. It felt like a slightly excessive step and a hindrance to the momentum of the scenes. Unfortunately the audio on the night that I attended was also not quite up to scratch. I believe just Romeo and Juilet were mic’d up with radio mics whereas the other actors used overhanging microphones and some which were positioned at the front of the stage. There were times where lines were inaudible as actors moved in and out of areas where microphones were placed and this was something I heard other patrons also feedback on while leaving the theatre.
In just 2-hours, this graduating acting cohort presented a tight and engaging take on Romeo and Juliet. Its brevity didn’t detract from the play’s impact, instead giving us the best bits of tension, drama, comedy and romance. An impressive undertaking and delivery from all involved.
Romeo and Juliet is on at the Heath Ledger Theatre from June 12-17.