Juliet and her Romeo at the Bristol Old Vic, review

By Charles Spencer 452PM GMT seventeen March 2010

Michael Byrne (Romeo) and Sian Phillips (Juliet) Photo SIMON ANNAND

Some competence call it merely perverse, others a officious aspersion to the Bard. For in this startling new production, Shakespeares tragedy of childish intrigue has been incited in to a investigate of love in old age.

Whats conspicuous is how small the plays adapters, Sean OConnor and Tom Morris, have had to change. Apart from the prologue, that relocates the movement to a modern-day caring home, Verona plc, roughly each line is Shakespeares. And I have to contend I was gripped and intrigued throughout, not regularly the box when examination some-more required productions of a fool around I have maybe seen as well often.

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With the ageing race one of todays vital open concerns, and the awaiting of being bundled off in to a dour night before home a fright that haunts most of us, the prolongation is positively timely. Morriss prolongation is additionally ingenious, infrequently unequivocally funny, and mostly deeply touching.

How do you create, for instance, the extreme enmity in in between the Montagues and Capulets in an old folks home? Very simply. The Montagues are the bad saps who have been forced to money in their homes and their hold up assets to live and nap in a community ward. The Capulets are those from abounding family groups who have in isolation caring and a room of their own. No consternation tensions simmer, though when fights mangle out the selected weapons arent swords but on foot sticks and Zimmer frames. Romeo eventually gives Tybalt his quietus by smothering him with a cushion.

What creates the prolongation relocating as well as appealing is the piquancy of the mural of geriatric love. Throughout this honestly intense staging, I was reminded of Philip Larkins lines in An Arundel Tomb, when he writes that the very old forged commemorative to an nobleman and his countess proves "our almost-instinct roughly loyal what will tarry of us is love".

Tom Pyes excellent pattern captures the soulless care-home with chilling precision, right down to the smell of disinfectant, with younger actors personification doctors, nurses, Juliets vicious, niggardly daughter and the institutions proffer padre, Friar Lawrence.

Meanwhile the comparison members of the cast, personification characters that are immature in the strange play, move a smashing smashed grace and experience to their roles. I was generally changed by Michael Byrne, who plays Romeo similar to a little old-school, rheumy-eyed poet, sanctified with a watchful clarity of consternation and with a tasty pitiable humour about him as he declares "With loves light wings did I oer roost these walls."

Siân Phillips brings a used glorious and a clarity of character to a Juliet who will be 80 "come Lammas Eve", and the love scenes in in between the span have a gentle, heart-catching ardour.

Among the ancillary cast, I quite favourite Dudley Sutton, whose mischievous Mercutio delivers the Queen Mab debate with good beauty, whilst Tim Barlow brings a terrifying viciousness to his rickety Tybalt.

It doesnt all smoke-stack up carrying killed Tybalt, would Romeo unequivocally have been authorised to skid off in to the streets? but where it counts this prolongation reinvigorates an over-familiar fool around with intelligence, aptitude and singular tenderness.

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