The cast multi-roled with distinct characterisation and vigour and the entire company worked well together, their closeness as a team apparent throughout. Moments that could have become messy stayed clean because of his, and others’, commitments to their smooth improvisations.
Richard Hughes as Romeo was particularly strong at this, never hesitating to respond in character to the curveballs coming his way. Despite many sentences being slurred or forgotten halfway through – and likely some lost entirely – Brindle is obviously very talented, which she recognised herself, breaking out of character at one particularly intense moment to confess, “I’m doing some of my best acting right now.”īrindle’s inebriation meant her scene partners had the added challenge of keeping the show on track when it was altered by mistakes, or moments that attempted to derail it, from cheeky, improvised questions to Juliet laughing whilst playing dead. Juliet ( Jessica Brindle) was our joyous drunk for the evening, providing lots of laughter and even an unexpected happy ending. Her role also echoed that of Juliet’s Nurse, as she watched on from the wings (and often further onstage) to ensure the drunk Juliet remained unhurt (and in the right scene!). Throughout the production, Farrar was an energetic and consistent presence, engaging the audience from the outset and highlighting their vital role in the production as she handed out various instruments, including a gong, a horn, and a bucket.
This was explained with gusto ahead of the performance, by the evening’s enthusiastic compere, Lucy Farrar. This copious drinking before a show is a task assigned to one actor a night ahead of a Sh!t-faced Shakespeare performance, following which they take on their role as rehearsed and perform as best they can, with the rest of the cast adapting as chaos ensues. And with a tale as known as Romeo and Juliet, that’s exactly what’s needed. When one half of the title characters has spent the past four hours drinking half a bottle of vodka (and more), you get the inkling that the performance of Shakespeare you’re about to witness may be less conventional than other adaptations. A stellar cast, talented in the face of alcohol-fuelled challenge.
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