Theatre
Romeo and Juliet
St James Cavalier

Adaptation is one of the hardest skills to pull off properly in theatre, all the more so when it is the adaptation of a well-known, much-loved and over-done play. Ah yes – Shakespeare had no idea what he was getting generations of thespians into when he wrote Romeo and Juliet.

Putting together such a large ensemble is a casting headache by any standard, and it was evident that some characters were rather miscast in this production

Theatrencore’s latest production of the tragedy of these star-crossed lovers last weekend proved to be quite an uneven one at best.

Director Tyrone Grima took on a major endeavour and certainly had a vision. However, its execution went astray.

The reinvented Maltese setting against the political backdrop of the 1980s, with the Capulets as staunch Nationalists and the Montagues flying the Labour flag came across as a rather useless pretext as it did not really tie in with the script. Admittedly, the attention to detail was commendable and the pop culture references and styling excellent – with a large Rubik’s Cube which served as balcony, bed, plinth, tomb and disco box, complimented by day-glo fashions, power cuts, political catch-phrases and Dynasty screened on an old brown Grundig TV.

It was a pity that it did not merge organically with the Shakespearean lines which remained aloof of the Mediterranean setting despite the thematic similarities.

With constant references to Verona, I couldn’t quite make out, through the cut scenes, how our island was in any way, implicated to begin with.

Pray tell… how is one banished from Verona to Mantua and on his return to the place of origin, take a ship/ferry to Malta? Rather confusing and anomalous methinks.

Putting together such a large ensemble is a casting headache by any standard, and it was evident that some characters were rather miscast in this production. Sharon Bezzina’s Juliet came across as rather weak – there was no channelling of the sweet innocent girl of 14 whose determination rises stoically with her acknowledgment of love. There seemed to be a lack of emotional connection with the character which came across as solid acting but nothing more.

Her interactions with Philip Leone-Ganado’s earnest Romeo showed an infatuation which was missing the depth of defiance and lost the mystery of nightly trysts in favour of a more frantic desire to move out of their parents’ houses and into each other’s trousers.

That said, the more frantic scenes were balanced nicely by Leone-Ganado’s interactions with Colin Willis’s collected Friar Lawrence – which came as a pleasant relief from the occasionally over-pitched group scenes.

Interestingly, some of the secondary characters carried their part very well – almost upstaging the principals. The three young men who played Tybalt, Mercutio and Benvolio – Alexander Gatesy Lewis, Erin Stewart Tanti and David Chircop respectively – maintained a consistent adherence to a more classical perception of the characterisation, while giving them their own brand of 1980s youth culture. From the preppy Tybalt to the hippy Benvolio and the pot-head Mercutio, this was one of the only aspects where setting, characterisation and script worked seamlessly together.

I particularly enjoyed their very well-choreographed fight scene which was marred only slightly by heavy breathing after the presumed deaths, but was otherwise plausible and struck the right emotional chord – as had their previous jibes and encounters.

Stewart Tanti is a talented character actor and always delivers in parts like this, while Gatesy Lewis and Chircop are maturing into the roles they choose very well. There were some exceptions to this, with Marco Calleja’s Paris lacking clarity but making up for it in presence; and Lady Montague, played by Pauline Fenech being particularly problematic because of the incorrect phrasing leading to the loss of the lines’ significance.

Nadine Genovese had the right sentiments for the bumbling nurse but her otherwise endearing performance was marred by weak phrasing. Joe Pace and Marvic Cordina as Lord and Lady Capulet made the most of their rather diminished parts while Mik Pisani, who narrated the prologue gave a steady interpretation, although I was rather disappointed that the Prince’s speech, done as a radio/television voice-over by Malcolm Galea, was not technically clearer coupled with the fact that this scene was rather static with just a flashing spot over the covered dead.

This version of Romeo and Juliet had more of a workshop vibe to it and carried plenty of potential which had yet to be fulfilled. Ironing out the details in the script-to-setting transition would certainly have allowed for a more unified and tight performance.