Romeo and Juliet is one of the most well-known plays in the country and perhaps in the world. This recognition comes with the absolute freedom to do whatever you want with it, since everyone already knows the story. However, with that freedom comes pressure to do something new and original.
When the Northcott theatre announced their next production to be Romeo and Juliet, I was a little skeptical. The Northcott had only just come back to producing their own shows after a long hiatus, and their first show was the highly acclaimed The Commotion Time (read our review here). So, when it was announced that their next production would be Romeo and Juliet I thought: huh, that’s pretty standard. With The Commotion Time being an original production, I thought it was a strange choice to switch to a play that is as close to being over-done as Shakespeare can get. However, if my English degree taught me anything, it was that you can never truly go wrong with Shakespeare, so I went in open minded.
Let me just say now, any doubts I had for the show very quickly vanished. Most modern-day Shakespeare productions like to find a niche or a theme to fit themselves into and the Northcott’s production was not exempt from this. While I struggle to accurately define the theme of the production, I would say there was a strong 90s punk/rock scene being created.
This theme was created through every aspect of the production, which is what made the show feel entirely cohesive. The set, costumes, and music all created the world in which the play was set, nothing felt out of place. Every small detail is key to making a successful show, which the Northcott have managed to achieve yet again.
A key selling point of this production was the use of music throughout. The ensemble cast is made up from local dancers, and each of them put on a great performance. In particular, the fight scenes in the play were instead replaced with well-choregraphed dance scenes, which really cemented the production as taking inspiration from that punk/rock scene. My only complaint is that I wished the production used the dancers even more, especially during the second half of the show.
Of course, I couldn’t celebrate the play without talking about the main cast. Both the actors for Juliet and Romeo (Madison Grace and Izzie Harding-Perrott) were a perfect casting, I could feel the chemistry between them from the second they both stepped onto stage. Madison Grace’s musical and dance talent were an added bonus to an already great performance. However, the person who really stole the show was Jodie Micciché, the actor who played both the nurse and Tybalt. She was so incredible that I only realised embarrassingly late that both characters were being played by the same person.
Like the Northcott’s previous production, Romeo and Juliet was directed by Martin Berry, the creative director at Northcott. At the end of the show, he highlighted the importance of supporting the local arts scene. He also told us that everyone involved in this production had a connection to the South-West area. This idea was carried from their previous production, and with another Northcott production in the works, I’m thrilled to see the support for the shows thriving.
From the chatter I heard from everyone leaving the theatre afterwards, it seems that the Northcott have another hit on their hands. This production was fun, emotional and a showcase of local talent. Their next show Exe-Men is set to come out later this year, and is an
original production focusing on the Exeter rugby team. If it is anything like what the Northcott have been producing recently, I’m sure it is gonna be one for the calendar.
