Faith, Hope and Clarity, and the Rutter School of democratic dictatorship

I saw the Northern Broadsides production of Romeo and Juliet at the West Yorkshire Playhouse last week, and overall I enjoyed it. I like Broadsides as a company, with their clarity and use of ‘Northern voice’, despite the overuse of clogs*. And also despite the Barrie Rutter ego trip that tends to be there in every performance. This time, he was Capulet, and it seemed to suit him.

The setting was modern, with a minimal set – practical as it’s a touring production, so has to fit into theatre spaces of various styles and forms. Romeo and Juliet were presented as very modern teenagers, which both worked, and sometimes jarred. They are difficult parts to cast, as the actors have to be young enough to convince, and yet old enough to play the emotional depth, and also to have the experience to deliver the lines. Here we had a pair who looked young, but who sometimes struggled with the verse, occasionally to the point of making me wince.

That said, it did move me, and I found I was crying both when Juliet was found ‘dead’, and then in the last scene**.

In the ‘Talkback’ after the performance, Rutter said that they’re often called ‘the Shakespeare company for those who don’t do Shakespeare’, and I think that’s about right. I could see this production connecting very well with those seeing their first Shakespeare. He was also right when he said that whatever else you thought, you couldn’t fail to grasp the story. He did say a lot I didn’t agree with, mainly about character – but again I agree that with Shakespeare you don’t need to look for the back story as it’s all there on the page for you.

*Yes, I know it’s their trademark, but I really don’t believe that the Capulets would have been clog dancing at their ball!
**I also always cry at the apothecary scene, but that has more to do with the death of Smike in Nicholas Nickleby*** than with R&J
*** too long to explain

'Our revels now are ended'

I started my birthday with breakfast in Betty's (very nice), and ended it in the bar of the West Yorkshire Playhouse, having seen some Shakespeare, so it was all pretty good.

In between, I shopped – I bought the blue walking shoes, and then wandered into lots of jewellery shops trying to find something ‘pretty’, but managed to resist.

For the evening, we had tickets for Northern Broadsides production of The Tempest at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. I like Northern Broadsides, as long as Barrie Rutter controls himself, which he did on this occasion. As a company they have lots of energy and its always a very lively performance in Northern voice (rather than accent) with musical accompaniment.

The Tempest isn’t my favourite Shakespeare, and there was a point a few years ago where I felt I’d seen it enough, for the time being, but I hadn’t seen it since I studied it on my OU Shakespeare course, so I wanted to see it again.

As we walked into the theatre, I reminisced about the last time I saw it at the WYP, when Ian McKellan was playing Prospero and forgot his lines. He had to go off stage and get the book. I remember a lot of bubble wrap too. It wasn’t very good!

This production was much better. It was fast paced, light, funny, and it didn’t dwell on any of the darker elements. I do defy anybody to make the scenes with the shipwrecked lords interesting though. And, as a play, it has some wonderful language in it.