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Romeo and Juliet
Playwright - William Shakespeare
Director - Suzanne Loftus
Costume Designer - Alison Brown
Company - Cutting Edge Theatre Company
Venues & Dates - see end of review
Reviewer - Thelma Good seen at Stirling Castle
Not a promenade performance more's a pity
Thank heavens for the rain, which got us away from the amplified performance.
It enabled us after the first half to be in the Great Hall at Stirling
to hear the subtleties of the actors' voices denied us when electronics
enter the performance.
Set in a Scottish context with rather good tartan costumes by Alison Brown,
Cutting Edge are touring their outdoor version of the famous romantic
play of young love denied its later development round a selection of our
Historic venues. It's not a promenade performance more's a pity, the audience
are thus not able to stand where is best for them but have to suffer the
director's choice. At Stirling this meant too many Capulet scenes occurred
to the left of the audience. When we adjourned to the dry, the audience
again were seated but it was easier for the actors to relate to them as
none of us were much more than 5 metres away. But the retreat indoors
revealed why some performers are miked, for Lady Capulet, Shona McIntosh
and Paris, Adrian Kennedy, failed to project giving us scenes of
"mumbled Shakespeare"- just as well many of us knew the play.
Christina Cochran makes a good Juliet, beautiful, not quite innocent,
with an inner metal which makes her the tragic heroine. Mark Torrance
makes a fair Romeo too, less knowing about the ways of the world and women
than his older, more world weary companion Mercutio. Christopher Duffy
gives us a robust Mercutio, rewarded well by laughter as he samples the
champagne in the audience or when startled after Romeo intervenes in that
fight saying "I am hurt". The Nurse, Natalie Bennett
is Northern English accented and belies successfully her own youth to
be a nurse with real raucous charm. A rather lumpen Prince, Calum Beaton
did convince when he doubled as the well meaning but stupid Friar.
Some tips, if it rains don't sit, stand under an umbrella, you get less
wet! And two, microphones are recent inventions, any actor worth his salt
should be able to project. Thirdly performances outdoors often benefit
from the promenade experience, moving keeps you warm and close to the
action, and if you can't hear you can move closer. You have to be a more
skilled director if you are only going to sit them in one place and when
you mike actors they lose the ability to draw you to where they are. An
audience should turn to look at the actor not at an amp! And for everyones'
safety swords and wet grass are a no-no.
© Thelma Good 12 July 2002
Tour Details of Cutting Edge's Romeo and Juliet.
Tour begins
11 & 12 July at 7.30pm Stirling Castle tickets from
0131 473 2000
13 July at 8pm Urquhart Castle tickets from 0131 473
2000
14 July at 7pm Elgin Cathedral tickets from 0131 473
2000
19 July at 7pm St Andrews Castle tickets from 0131 473
2000
20 & 21 July at 7pm Linlithgow Palace tickets from
0131 473 2000
23 & 24 July at 8pm Edinburgh Castle tickets from
0131 473 2000
26 July 7pm Melrose Abbey tickets from 0131 473 2000
27 & 28 July at 7pm Caerlaverock Castle tickets from
0131 473 2000
1 & 2 August at 7.30pm Scone Palace 01738 552 300
3 & 4 August at 7.30pm Cawdor Castle 01667 404 615
7 August at 7.30pm Castle Fraser 01330 833 463
8 - 10 August at 7.30pm Falkland Palace 01337 857 397
End of tour
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