Romeo & Juliet at the Globe

Romeo and Juliet is a tragic tale of two young “star-cross’d lovers” whose untimely death ultimately united their feuding families. The play is one of Shakespeare most popular plays and has been known to be one of the greatest tragedies of all time, but who knew it could be so comical as well? Throughout history there have been various renditions of this classic tale, the 2009 production of Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theatre adds, yet, another twist to an old favorite. Past productions have, typically, been more on the serious and dramatic side. This version, however, was much happier and incorporated more comedy in its scenes than many have in the past. The entire play had lighter tone to it; even the most intense and dramatic scenes, such as the final death scene, felt more lighthearted than tragic. I, personally, enjoyed the production (aside from the standing part). The addition of comedy gave the play an interesting new twist – something I did not expect from the tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet. This creative new rendition, however, has gotten mixed review from the critics. Some loved every aspect of it while others found that the play was miscast.

ArtsHub:
“There is simply no reason to spend a night at the Globe this summer…”
“It is very difficult not to fall in love with Adetomiwa Edun’s Charismatic, glowing Romeo…”

The londonist:
“We missed the bubbling tribal tensions that fuel this play. We missed the Queen Mab speech: good as he is, Philip Cumbus' Mercutio didn't use the whole stage, and vocal projection remains a perennial Globe problem. We missed any tragedy. Worst of all, we missed a suitable Juliet.”