In 2020 Rob Myles curated the complete works of Shakespeare over several months on a weekly basis with actors around the world in their homes (The Show must go Online) and made them available for free on YouTube. It was fascinating to see how their technique evolved and improved using zoom technology over the weeks. Creation Theatre, in partnership with Watford Palace Theatre, have taken this idea a step forward (or perhaps backwards) with their innovative 'choose your own adventure' style adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet directed by Jermyn Street Theatre’s Artistic Associate Natasha Rickman. It proclaims it is “an expansive multi-platform digital production”. In practice, it is a mess and rather like having a nightmare about a drug-fuelled rave with 105 (on this occasion) voyeurs watching.
It is a game of two halves. In the first half, we join the story either as Capulets or Montagues and by the look of it the voyeurs split roughly fifty: fifty as we watch our “House” prepare for the Capulets party where Romeo meets Juliet. Throughout we can see in the zoom windows the other voyeurs, some in masks, as they too try to work out what is going on.
You feel for the performers whose clear speaking of Shakespeare’s well-known lines are overwhelmed by the fuzzy ghost-like imagery, blocking that would have directors despairing in live theatre and absence of any sense of physical location. I tried closing my eyes and found listening to them speak was more engaging than watching especially as sometimes the lip-sync was off.
I found myself watching the reaction of Brigid Lamour, Artistic Director of the Watford Palace Theatre as she watched her co-produced show with a drink in one hand and a fixed smile. Occasionally the actors seem to try and engage the voyeurs by referencing their names or costumes for no other reason than to prove it's live. Unlike Pantolive’s clever use of Zoom interactivity with the “front row,” this adds nothing to the storytelling.
Kofi Dennis makes an intense earnest north of England Romeo in pursuit of a lovestruck Juliet, Annabelle Terry, and they deliver the lines well. However, the famous balcony scene is curious with Juliet looking down to the bottom of the screen and Romeo superimposed next to her looking straight out at the camera. Katy Stephens appears to be having great fun as a steampunk Nurse reminiscent of Blackadder II Nursie character! Friar Laurence becomes Sister Lauren played by Clare Humphrey and Benvolio is played by Harmony Rose Bremner adjusting the gender balance of the thirteen cast.
The fight and party scenes are a blur of colours and indistinctive figures as the various streams are edited together to create some sense of action so you can only just make out Tybalt (Sebastian Capitan Viveros) fighting Mercutio (Dharmesh Patel) although we get clearer images of Graeme Rose and Vera Chok as the Capulets and Viss Elliot Safavi as Lady Montague.
All producers are grappling with how to use the technology to create an engaging home experience and Director Natasha Rickman and designer Ryan Dawson Laight has taken inspiration from the gaming world to attempt this interactive experience. In truth, they have tried to do too much and pushed the medium beyond its limits creating a clunky unsatisfactory experience, but you have to applaud them for trying and it will be interesting to see what they have learned and can apply to their next project.
Review by Nick Wayne
Rating: ★★
Seat: Online | Price of Ticket: £20
