Wednesday 21st until Saturday 24th April 2010 @ Bristol Cathedral, Bristol

A buzzier production of Romeo And Juliet you couldn’t wish to see. And how refreshing to come across this play on two counts: the cast believed 110% in their interpretation; and as a student company they invested more than just time and boundless energy - they got it to the stage themselves via sponsorship deals and goodwill.

It was rambunctious from the off with lightening swordplay and some impressive tumbles which not only kept the 150-plus audience on their toes but also threatened to wake some of the souls beneath the marble slab flooring. The anarchic and bawdy nature of all this only served to show the raw nature of what Shakespeare must have had in mind back in the 1600s.

The play was a promenade and we followed the troupe from cathedral chambers to clerestory to transept to chapel and back again - to the high vaulted chambers, which occasionally proved difficult to fill with words lost to the ether. In the opening scenes, Juliet (played by Tanya Lattul) certainly strained to get the words out there with this unusually spacious backdrop. On the flip side, the ball scene rolled out effortlessly and had the additional bonus of audience participation – I’ve never tasted better Madeleine’s and elderflower cordial - I judged it rude to ask for seconds but believe me it was close.

The interplay between the leads – Luke Thompson as Romeo and Lattul, Juliet – after occasional brittle beginnings grew to an engrossing and emotional denouement, with a quick glance around the audience exhibiting not a few tears – high praise in itself. Thompson bossed the stage from the start and had elegant poise with the high dudgeon emotions down pat – maturity beyond his years. He put his heart and soul into the role and had a touch of the Jeremy Irons. The beckoning facial expressions told a story and the volatile dialogue with Friar Lawrence between the choir pews was a tour de force: Thompson and Alex Woolf wringing out every last drop of pathos on hearing news of Juliet’s plight and his own banishment.

As the play progressed, Lattul relaxed and came into her own especially in the bravura, pre-nuptial scene alongside Harry Benfield’s excellent Capulet. Benfield, who hastened round the stage with the authority of a king gave the role the substance required of leader of the Capulet clan. Of the supporting cast, David Kelly deserves special mention as the mercurial, sharp-tongued, Mercutio: A thoroughly engaging and very witty portrayal with some amazing feats of physical comedy - at one point jumping into the lap of an unsuspecting audience member - and this, alongside some bawdy carrot-play, certainly drew the plaudits. Likewise Juliet’s nurse played by Juliet Turner, proved a delight and added a welcome draft of humour, with her broad Scottish brogue and comic’s timing, to what is essentially a bitter brew.

Director Emily Smith fulfilled her ambition successfully: to take Bristol university students out of the ‘Clifton-centric bubble’ into the broader community. The grandeur and pomp of the cathedral is a tricky proposition but by plumping for a promenade performance the gamble paid off. Each stage set was a perfect fit and although at two and half hours with no interval (save aforementioned cake and cordial) it was a marathon, it was a marathon you were glad to have been a part of. All the cast of 24, the accomplished choir of ten, and the orchestral sextet, were worthy players on a bigger stage it’s hard to imagine.

www.bristol-cathedral.co.uk

Jan Goodey