POCKLINGTON POST

Shakespeare 4 Kidz ROMEO AND JULIET

Musical : Romeo and Juliet
Venue : Grand Opera House, York
Review by : Julia Pattison


Shakespeare 4 Kidz made a welcome return to the Grand Opera House York on September 26th, with their latest production, Romeo and Juliet.

The auditorium was full of excited school children, armed with huge bags of sweets ( aaaah! ) and it took a brave reviewer to sit amongst them.

Having seen two excellent previous productions however, ( Macbeth and The Tempest ) I had every faith that as soon as the show began, even the most excitable child would settle down.

Sure enough, as The Company opened with their energetic ensemble piece, MONTAGUES and CAPULETS, they had the immediate attention of their young audience.

There was a real 50s feel to this musical, with shades of Grease as Mercutio went into his QUEEN MAB number, and The Company rock ’n’ rolled around him.

Great use of projected images at the back of the stage, along with a simple, effective set, made it very clear when a new scene was beginning.

I was curious to see how Julian Chenery and Matt Gimblett would make the famous love scenes appealing to a young audience. Clever use of comic moments ( such as Romeo struggling to climb the balcony ), discerning editing of Shakespeare’s text, and charismatic performances from Alex Tomkins ( Romeo ) and Serena Giacomini ( Juliet ), ensured that there wasn’t so much as a shuffle in the auditorium.

An energetic, enthusiastic cast, quality writing, music and choreography, Shakespeare 4 Kidz go from strength to strength.