A new version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet premieres at Coventry's Belgrade Theatre this month, in a co-production with Bristol Old Vic and the Hackney Empire. The brutalist and anarchic production directed by Corey Campbell fuses Shakespeare's words with original lyrics by That’s A Rap, expanding the play to feature Rap and R&B.

The political landscape of ‘fair Verona’ (where we lay our scene) is a grim reflection of the modern climate - the heads of the warring houses of Montague and Capulet are reframed to represent political factions, whose leaders intentionally stir descent and incite violence among the people. In the opening scene, the heads of Romeo and Juliet’s respective families, Montague (Ellena Vincet) and Lord Capulet (Asheq Akhtar) spout rhetoric borrowed from real politicians, alongside Shakespeare's words, while standing far removed from the nameless, faceless people fighting in the streets around them.

The play is opened by Andre Antonio, who plays Benvolio, also speaking the play’s famous prologue in this production. As the tragic events unfold, the character comes to represent the unwilling bystanders, asking the audience to reconsider their role in the face of needless violence and political upset.

The production is overtly political - audience members are encouraged to vote ‘Montague or Capulet’, newspapers are handed out in the interval in place of programs, and the foyer is filled with protest graffiti. However, it is still definitely a love story, through which the ill-fated Romeo and Juliet stumble. Romeo (Kyle Ndukuba) gives an excellent performance, injecting Shakespeare's poetic language with lyricism that blends seamlessly into Rap. Juliet (Mia Khan) is suitably ‘young and in love’, with a belting voice to boot.

The company as a whole pulses with energy, from Dillon Scott-Lewis’ nihilistic swagger as Mercutio, to Tybalt’s impulsive anger (Samuel Gosrani). The playful affection between Juliet and her Nurse (Natasha Lewis) is far closer than the stilted relationship of Juliet and her mother Lady Capulet (Lauren Moakes), and Yasmin Wilde’s Friar Lawrence brought some refreshing reason and light-heartedness to the story.

High above the action, throughout the performance, is a live band, under the musical direction of Jonathan Campbell, along with the dramatic addition of voices from a community choir. While the band’s presence undoubtedly added to the play’s frenetic energy, at times the balance between music and voices left the lyrics a little unclear. This was a real shame, as the fusion of Shakespeare and Rap - both undoubtedly ‘wordy’ - is essential to the production. 

In all, this new, boundary-pushing production is a visually impactful, thought-provoking treat - it’s certainly Romeo and Juliet as never experienced before.

Four Stars

Romeo and Juliet was reviewed on Thursday 27 February by Jessica Clixby at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre, where it shows until Saturday 8 March