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Audience Feedback

Dinah Jurksaitis – 13/6/09

We absolutely loved the production. Shakespeare's language sounded perfectly modern and real. The street gang crime was so relevant, that day in particular, when you look at the news with a knife in the heart of London. The young men were brilliant in role, and as dancers and fighters. I was genuinely scared watching them. Juliet was gorgeous and such a stroppy teenager. (I know them so well!) The second half was intensely moving and the part in the church made people cry, at least inside. The entire venue added significance to the play with many echoes of Catholic Protestant fights and differences. I loved the hammock idea and the balcony.

Frank also really loved it. He wants to add to this and will do when he's stopped watching tele! I am therefore copying this email to him so he sees what I've written and gets your email address.

I would very much like to know what other projects you have afoot. Please put me on your email list for productions.  

Frank Jurksaitis - 15/06/09

I remember playing Tybalt with OUDS  when a student, and teaching the play too. After more than twenty years as a magistrate in West London's youth courts, I was deeply affected by the echoes of that Eltham killing, and the swaggering son of that criminal, and the Kinsella death. You have transformed my understanding of what I felt was a rather immature play with your interpretation. What struck me was that you have no heroes in this brilliant production. Romeo, Mercutio, Juliet and all of them are infected with feuding, and suffer the terrible consequences.

Maybe the physicality of Romeo striking Friar Lawrence is a step too far,  though the way these monks retained access to the troubled youth, despite offering dysfunctional support,  is noteworthy.

Sociologically, I saw echoes of the way the Catholic clergy will have counselled the Catholics to sit in futility on their hands, to continue a secret allegiance and not to provoke open conflict where they were bound to lose against the forces of the state.

Mercutio's plague on both your houses was very moving: it showed much psychological splitting: where in fact he embodied the conflict, yet in dying he pushed the blame elsewhere. A big hook for me to hang my understanding of the society on was Capulet's curse: God's bread, it makes me mad. The central theological conflict over communion, real presence etc was caught in this, and reminded me of Queen Elizabeth's clever compromise and tolerance which helped to hold English society together.

Also echoes of the old honour cult of Omerta, where law was somehow incorporated in the male body and male strength, which was beginning to be questioned but still continued sporadically for another century, with duelling only ceasing in the 18th century.
  
Your production also made sense to me of the tradition of masques as a form of promenade theatre: rich people enjoying their gardens. What a setting you gave us! And what echoes of the great actors in that church! I loved the incidental significance of going into the church and seeing a sign of inclusion - that white plastic sign that all are welcome to pray there. The incense and the neon combined tradition and modernity very well. I thought you took a risk with two suicides at the altar, but it came off without any hint of blasphemy, and I think the vicar also needs much commending for giving you that venue and allowing that act. It worked entirely.
   
What a standing ovation - I was proud to be there. I talked with two actors afterwards, and I wasn't sure that they realised what a great thing they have been a part of, in addition to their own performances. Wonderful, marvellous: thankyou and all your crew.(Are you sure Juliet didn't have a Nottingham accent? And wasn't she just great!)

Catherine  Mac - 16/6/09

Chris and I went to the last night of Romeo and Juliet and it was a superbly inventive production, making great use of the courtyard, gardens and church. At first it was like rowdy Tudor street scenes with a very young audience bringing in beer and take-aways, but at the end, with Juliet's bier in the church with candles and incense, you could have heard a pin drop.

Paul McGrane – 15/6/09
Membership Manager – Poetry Society

It was a superb production - possibly the best Shakespeare I've ever seen - and what a fabulous setting. I hope you're planning to put more plays on at St Paul's in future!ety.org.uk

 Philip Swift – 12/6/09

For the first time ever I enjoyed a Shakespeare play from start to finish. Possibly presented as Shakespeare intended: lively and without the posh accents. The final scene in the church almost brought me to tears, slightly embarrassing, I must be getting old. Last week I went to see "All's well that ends well" in the Olivier but on a scale of 1 to 10 yours was a 10 and their's a 6.

Thank you for my own certificate, which I returned to the bar- for re-cycling.
 
Apologies for putting 50p into the guitar player's bowl; I mistakenly thought he had been brought in from outside as a "warm up" act. (***note**** - though he was part of the cast all the money given was gratefully recieved and spent on beer.)
 
Were the North Country accents genuine or "put on". Loved every minute of it.

Val Horton – 12/6/09
New Faces Talent

We obviously get invited to many shows but yesterday's matinee performance of Romeo & Juliet must go down as an all time favourite and one I shall remember for a long time to come.  The casting was superb and everyone put on such a professional performance.  Thank you all so very much..newfacestalent.co.uk

Peter Litton - 8/6/09

I just wanted to offer my appreciation for this wonderful production of Romeo & Juliet I saw last Saturday night. I will not see this play again this year because non can come close to this one. This production was played in the spirit in which Shakespeare intended his plays to be performed. As a member of the audience, the proximity of the players gave a wonderful sense of involvement; it was like being an onlooker in Verona. The players were excellent; there were no large egos out to do big Shakespearean drama, just people focused on the characters and the story at hand.

Thanks for providing a wonderful nights entertainment and reminding me, once again, just how good Shakespeare can be.
 

Hal Klepak – 2/6/09

This is the first time I have ever written to a company after seeing your performance this evening (Monday, 1st June). But I wanted very much to share my feelings with you with regard to the wonderful work you did.
 
I am a professor of history in Canada on an extended stay in UK and have seen, as always when I am here, a great deal of theatre. I also am a Shakespeare nut and go to a great deal of what is presented here, in Stratford in Canada, and elsewhere of his work. Indeed, I have had the honour of being consultant to a number of productions of his work.
 
It is not, however, to that that I wished to make reference in this email. It was instead to congraulate you all most sincerely for a wonderful effort on the 'Romeo and Juliet' that you are currently presenting at St Paul's in Covent Garden.
 
I have rarely enjoyed myself more or been more impressed with young artists who both enjoy doing Shakespeare and whose love for him comes so to the fore during the presentation.
 
The direction seems to have been superb and my hat goes off first to Dr Winder. The movng about of the audience seemed seamless although doubtless to you it may have had some hitches. It all made sense and made everyone live the moment.
 
The acting was so balanced it is difficult to know how to single anyone out. The lines were delivered almost always with great consideration for the place and part and for the audience's understanding.
 
Special kudos from me (for what it is worth) also go to Mr Donnelly. He was an excellent Romeo and a pleasure to watch (and hear). He was clear, convincing and oozed his role. Ms Wickham played convincingly with him and was a delightful selection for that most difficult of roles. But it all simply worked and Mr Donnelly made a massive contribution to that success. However, the whole cast was marvellously balanced and one was never disappointed.
 
I have seen this play innumerable times but I must thank you for giving me a performance which will stay with me.

More Press Reviews

Renata Legierska - www.londonfile.org
- "St. Pauls Church in Covent Garden has opened its door to the artistic community"

Forget the conventional theatre and imagine watching a drama unfold as if you were a passer-by on a street, a guest at a party, or an intimate friend. That’s exactly what the Iris Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet felt like.

Many people are familiar with or have seen an adaptation of the tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet. What made this production of the Shakespearean classic unique was the fact that, despite the archaic language, it felt real.

The audience was incorporated into the play – set in the beautiful grounds of St. Paul’s Church, a serene oasis next to the busy market square in Covent Garden. The performance began without flourish or fanfare, as the actors casually strolled into the St. Paul’s churchyard, some barely distinguishable from the audience. For the next two hours as the tale of the star-crossed lovers unfolded, the audience followed the actors throughout the beautiful church garden and inside the church itself.

There is a considerable risk when a classic work is turned into a modern production. But the play, directed by Dr. Daniel Winder, was no disappointment. It blended the essence of Shakespeare’s original appeal with fun modern touches. The language was left intact but the clothes and scenery adapted to contemporary setting. One notable addition was the Nurse who was played by a man in drag.

The actors put on strong and polished performances, combining song, dance and acrobatics with youthful energy and enthusiasm. The action flew seamlessly while Christos Lawton as Mercutio and Robert Pearce as Nurse were unforgettable.

The proximity to the actors created a sense of intimacy – the audience was not only watching a play but they were actively involved in it. The spectators could see the goose bumps on the actors’ skins as they stood, some half naked or barefoot, in the cold of the evening; some got splattered with fake blood during the fight scenes; but most importantly, the viewers could feel the chemistry between the lovers.

The play’s greatest strength lay in its ability to create authentic ephemeral moments of wonder. Romeo and Juliet’s first kiss, accompanied with light music playing in the background, was full of intensity and appeared as if suspended in another dimension. It was hard not to stare.

The conclusion was equally stunning. Although the ending was no mystery, the audience walked into the church with a feeling of excitement and anticipation. Smelling of incense, illuminated by candles and a large blue-lit cross, the interior was filled with awe-inspiring tranquillity.

The dramatic resolution was moving, beautiful, and inspired reflection. It left me wanting more. And judging by how many people lingered inside the church after the end, I was not the only one mesmerized by the performance. It’s a shame that the production runs for only two weeks.

Howard Loxton - British Theatre Guide:

Though staged in modern dress, its feuding families fighting with knives rather than rapiers - though it may surprise died-in-the-wool traditionalists to turn up, as the audience does, as guests at the Capulet’s ball to find it’s a disco party with a cabaret including a performance by Kathryn Martin’s hot-pant-wearing Lady Capulet. She is followed by Tybalt and his gang erupting like ‘Britain’s got Talent’ contestants in acrobatic street dance and then a guest drag-act stripper Miss Blanche du Bois (though she
may not be a fixture, publicity promises different guest performers throughout the run).

The first night audience, including plenty of greyhairs, loved it and this rather louche setting made it much more likely that Romeo would be able to sneak up and approach Juliet unnoticed than if he had to interrupt a formal dance. For that magical moment when they meet director Daniel Winder almost freezes the action, putting all the other characters into ultra slo-mo while Juliet’s Nurse, who clearly idolises her charge, contrives to block Lady Capulet and Paris from seeing.

This is a production that emphasises the youthfulness of the lovers. Laura Wickham’s Juliet is all naïve impetuousness, for her romance and marriage are straight out of a storybook, she surrenders to emotion as though it is all part of a game, she’s been protected and never had to really take responsibility for anything.  Romeo is played as though not much older, his infatuation with Rosaline a childish enthusiasm replaced by another, though with Juliet his passion seems to recognize something much deeper. He’s getting an adult sense of responsibility that’s lacking in the largely much older gang he hangs out with. Their ages help to suggest his youth, though Sam Donnelly sometimes seems a fraction too grown up he offers an intriguing alternation between youthful impulsiveness and growing awareness.

Those passages played to a fully seated audience have the close-up relationship of a small studio, yet backed by the full height of Inigo Jones’ church frontage.

Robert Pearce [impresses with his] authoritative Prince, which he doubles with a broadly played but very real nurse: his experience as a panto dame stands him in good stead and momentarily he sometimes tips too far in that direction but he gets the emotions absolutely right.

Another strong voice is Mellalieu, who doubles a rather kindly Capulet.  John Mason’s good-looking and elegant Paris seems decidedly blue-blooded. The ruthless coldness of Louis McKenna’s dagger-eyed Tybalt suggests [gang violence]. The feuding is brilliantly arranged by fight director Max Krupski.

There is some cutting and rearrangement of the text to accommodate the doubling but Winder has kept in some characters and scenes that are often cut and this helps to give an added freshness to the production which (if you exclude the interval) keeps to Shakespeare’s two hours traffic. This is a company [who] have the vitality that is essential for this play and earned an enthusiastic reception. I hope the weather keeps fine for them, but even on a sunny day it does get chillier in late evening so
be prepared. And, by the way, a £2.50 programme entitles you to a free glass of wine: I think that’s probably a cheaper programme and a cheaper drink than any in the West End!A last tip, to save you walking around the block as I did: entrance and box-office are in Covent Garden piazza, left of the church portico.

John Hyde - Docklands24 paper:

A drag act performing a strip tease, a disco-dancing Lady Capulet and helicopters overhead. It's fair to say Shakespeare didn't quite have this in mind when he penned the greatest love story ever told.

This Romeo and Juliet is set in the relatively tranquil churchyard of St Paul's, next to the bustling Covent Garden square. Competing with the sound of buskers and drinkers is a challenge, but it's one Iris Theatre company overcomes brilliantly here. Even unforeseen problems, such as a police helicopter nearby, was cleverly made to look as if it was following the fugitive Romeo.

The action begins in the courtyard with a well-choreographed fight scene, setting up the tensions that exist between Capulet and Montague. We were beckoned inside the church grounds where seats were in place facing the steps to the entrance. Soon the music started behind us and we were drawn to the Capulet party, complete with a one-off performance from a West End cabaret act. There the first meeting of Romeo and Juliet took place. The carefree jack-the-lad, played to perfection by Sam Donnelly, and the naïve, innocent Juliet. Laura Wickham gave the character a much younger feel which better explained how she falls so in love so quickly.

The infamous balcony scene, achieved with Juliet peering out of an office window adjacent, saw Romeo consult with the audience about how to handle the situation. After an interval and a drink (free with the £2.50 programme - nice touch) it was over to the garden and Juliet's 'bedroom'. Here the night drew in and the tragedy unfolded - with the final scene, the first inside the church, a heartbreaking and magnificent conclusion.