by
William Shakespeare Australian Shakespeare Company Botanical Gardens, Jan 7,
2001 (summer season- no closing date)
Reviewer: Kate
Herbert
Theatre and the great
outdoors are not always used in the same sentence these days. This is despite
the ancient Greek amphitheatres being in the open air and Shakespeare's
Elizabethan theatres being roofless.
Glenn Elston's Australian Shakespeare Company returns
theatre to the outdoors and takes advantage of the splendour of our Botanical
Gardens. This year we see a return of Romeo and Juliet, that tale of teenage
love gone wrong.
The environment is
gorgeous and the simplicity of the staging
and dramatic lighting allow the natural beauty to be focal. The
eccentric buildings and huge palm trees create the backdrop for Verona, home of
the feuding Montagues and the Capulets.
This space, of course, is not designed for viewing theatre
so there are some problems with seeing and hearing. Audience is quite a
distance from the stage so voices are body miked and Elston and co-director
Phil Sumner, make the action huge and almost pantomimic.
There are some very fine performances from the seasoned
performers in the cast while others struggle with the complex and poetic text
and vocal demands.
As Romeo Hugh Sexton is is sexy and almost Errol Flynn-like
as he swashbuckles and emotes. As his Juliet, Jacinta Stapleton is less
successful although she finds an attractive ingenuous adolescent quality in
Juliet.
She is unable to
sustain the role vocally and her lack of stage experience is obvious.
Shakespeare is too demanding a place to start if moving from television acting
(Neighbours) to theatre.
Kevin Hopkins plays a fine Mercutio. He is athletic, funny
and credible as the feisty cousin and playfellow of the lovelorn Romeo.
Brendan O'Connor as Tybalt, is a strong presence and
muscular foil to Mercutio.
Phil Sumner plays a very satisfying Friar while Michael
Bishop and Briony Williams provide substance as Juliet's parents. Dennis Coard
is charming as Romeo's father but is seen too little.
The ambient music is excellent, (uncredited) combining the
flavour of both Elizabethan and contemporary rhythms.
Take a picnic and the family. Watch for the fruit bats and
night birds who can steal the show. It is a fun evening under the stars.
By Kate Herbert
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