State Theatre Company
Nicki Bloom and Geordie Brookman have adapted Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to be staged with only 6 actors, each taking on various roles which are non gender specific, and constantly changing between players. Unfortunately the restructuring of the work doesn’t bring anything new to the piece, it only serves to cause potential confusion for audiences unfamiliar with the play and makes the characterisations disjointed. There can be no doubt that this production is innovative, but the switching of characters and script alterations does not work. The only redeeming features in this production are the lighting, and the actor’s performances.
Lighting designer Geoff Cobham uses shafts of light to cut across the space, each of which is mechanically timed to change its form, size and shape moving the audiences focus across the stage as it transforms the space. The lighting is very effective, and it is evident that a lot of time has been spent blocking the actors to move within its confines. Levels are created by the set which is flanked at both sides with 3 stories of scaffolding. The set is very unattractive and uninspired, though functional. Superfluous effects such as rain or a booming microphone echo occur but once and add nothing.
Costuming has been used to help the audience recognise which of the actors is portraying each character. Juliet is defined by a purple scarf, Romeo, a black woolen beanie and brown leather jacket. Other characters also have defining costuming, but unfortunately this is extent of the continuity.
As players switched roles they gave their own interpretation of the character, none stands out more than Nurse. Roman Vaculik introduces Nurse as a comedic, affectionate, caring woman. She is then transformed, under Terence Crawford, into a crippled old crone who doesn’t appear worthy of working for one of the richest families in Verona, and finishes in the most non-descript fashion with virtually none of the previous features as played by Michaela Cantwell. Brookman would have done better to decide with his actors how each character would be portrayed and maintain it throughout. The disjointedness was so severe that the audience could have been watching a completely different production each time the players rotated roles.
Standout performances really saved this show, and honors must go to Mark Saturno whose interpretation of both Friar Laurence and Tybalt was outstanding. Thomas Conroy was by far the best Juliet, but also gave a strong performance as Mercutio.
The production was two and half hours long with no interval, and it became evident that the audience had been lost when people started laughing through Romeo’s suicide scene. Never intended to be funny by the playwright, this was perhaps laughter inspired by relief, as theatre goers foresaw the imminent end of the show and the relief of a bathroom and a beverage.
Paul Rodda
9 August 2010
