Review essay on Romeo and Juliet
On 27 April 2012, I watched Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. It was directed by Ivan Heng from W!LD RICE. It brought laughter and tears to me, from the witty scenes to the tragic parts. This version was an exciting, refreshing, contemporary twist of the classic love story. The set, costumes, music, sound and casting gave this play a whole new spin to it.
I felt the casting was perfect. The main characters, Romeo, played by Hansel Tan and Juliet, played by Julie Wee, really brought out the deep emotions of their characters. Their chemistry was amazing and it wasn’t hard to imagine them as star-crossed teenage lovers. Romeo’s character was strong, with Hansel pulling of his intense feelings brilliantly, such as the part in Act 3, Scene 3 that starts with “Tis torture, and not mercy” when he talks about being banished. Juliet’s transformation from a wide-eyed girl into a self-assured, loyal, and capable woman was well portrayed throughout the play.
One memorable character was Nurse, played by Neo Swee Lin. Though I felt she that at some points her Singaporean accent would emerge, it somehow worked to make the character funnier and she injected much humour into the piece with her frequently inappropriate remarks and speeches. Act two, Scene three, where she meets Romeo was especially funny when she kept going for Romeo’s chest. It was hilarious!
Every scene kept the audience engaged, from the beautiful, intimate scene where Romeo lies with Juliet to the fight scenes like the one between Tybalt, Mercutio and Romeo. These scenes were choreographed very well and proxemics between the actors was well thought out. The scene where Romeo and Juliet take their clothes off and climb into bed and just lie there, it was very beautiful. Though the action was so simple, it was raw and the emotions could be felt. The bed was to the side