Review: ROMEO A JULIET, Shakespeare’s Globe

Photo credit: Marc Brenner

In this richly atmospheric reimagining, Verona is transplanted to Wales, its passions illuminated by the amber candlelit glow of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe. Under Steffan Donnelly’s assured direction, Shakespeare’s tale of star-crossed lovers is infused with a new warmth, due in no small part to J. T. Jones’ supple Welsh translation, which lends the drama both immediacy and cultural resonance.

Here, Wales is not merely a backdrop but the dramatic engine. Welsh becomes the dominant tongue, with English strategically deployed to underscore the fissures between Capulet and Montague—an elegant dramaturgical gesture that gestures toward class, identity, and the stereotypes that cling to ‘Welshness’. This ambitious linguistic tapestry unfolds with remarkable naturalness and for those without Welsh, a live translation app is available.

Watching how the actors nimbly move between Welsh and English without sacrificing any meaning is deeply impressive. The cast is uniformly strong, but Isabella Colby Browne offers a standout Juliet as the brutally determined, yet fragile and naïve young woman. Opposite her, Steffan Cennydd’s Romeo brings a near-juvenile sincerity that makes the play’s tragic denouement genuinely shattering – an achievement not all productions of Romeo & Juliet can claim.

Musical direction and compositions by Dyfan Jones are also inspired, with the folky and earthen soundscapes drumming up excitement and at times, dread. When paired with the use of traditional Welsh iconography such as the Mari Lwyd, Steffan Donnelly in his direction succeeds in creating a grounded Welsh intimacy with streaks of pathos. The marriage of each element results in a production steeped in cultural texture and emotional truth.

Catherine Alexander’s movement direction, using some synchronised movement within the chorus, is particularly powerful when paired with the chaotic movement in Act 1 Scene 5; the differences between the two families could not have been laid bare more starkly.

Romeo a Juliet ultimately serves as a reminder of the freshness that different perspectives, cultures, and languages can afford a text often dulled by familiarity. This production is not only a love story we all know, but also a love letter to the Welsh language and its home.

Braint oedd clywed Cymraeg yn Shakespeare’s Globe, a dwi’n gobeithio bydd mwy o Theatr Cymru yn dod i Lundain cyn hîr // It was a privilege to hear Welsh at Shakespeare’s Globe, and here’s to hoping more Theatr Cymru productions make it to London before long.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Jeff Mostyn

Romeo a Juliet plays at Shakespeare’s Globe until 8 November, with further info here.