Romeo and Juliet - The Pantaloons

Everybody knows Romeo and Juliet. They’ve either studied it at school, or seen a film adaptation, or maybe some people have even seen it in the theatre. Most people probably don’t think of it as a funny play. But when you see the Pantaloons’ version (as I did on 19^th August 2016), you realise how much humour there is in Romeo and Juliet.

From the punning banter between Mercutio (Mark Hayward) and Romeo (Tim Phelps), to the affectionately teasing relationship between Juliet (Violet Patton-Ryder) and the Nurse (Caitlin Storey), the Pantaloons draw out and make the most of the comedy in the text.

And it’s great to see original Pantaloons Mark Hayward and Caitlin Storey back on the stage and flexing their acting and improvisation muscles again. The quick-wittedness and warmth of their interactions with the audience is a joy, and Caitlin Storey’s Nurse has the audience in the palm of her hand throughout (with or without the help of kitkats).

That’s not to say that the drama and tragedy are forgotten about in this production though. Romeo’s despair on hearing of Juliet’s ‘death’ was palpable, and I was particularly struck by Juliet’s speech before she drinks the potion that will make her appear to be dead, where she voices her fears about waking in the tomb. It’s not a speech that I’ve ever really registered before, but Violet Patton-Ryder’s delivery of it really made me feel the horror of what Juliet’s imagining.

The cast of just four in this Romeo and Juliet moved effortlessly between the drama and the comedy – and between the Shakespearean language and modern ad libs. I’ve written before about how the atmosphere changes at an outdoor show as darkness falls, and it was the same here. Romeo and Juliet does get darker as it goes on, and the fall of night only intensifies that.

I feel I must give a mention to the balcony scene. Previous Pantaloons productions of Romeo and Juliet have played on how well known certain lines are (“It’s the famous bit!”) – but in this version they take a fresh approach to the scene. I won’t spoil it for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, but I thought it balanced the humour and the romance of the scene nicely, subverting our expectations without diverting from the text.

And another special mention must go to the venue where I saw the play. St Mark’s College at Audley End had put together a Romeo and Juliet themed playlist for the incoming and the interval – Prokofiev, Des’ree, Dire Straits, Taylor Swift… I can’t imagine many venues put that much thought into setting the scene for a touring theatre company’s show. Nice touch.


The Pantaloons are on tour with Romeo and Juliet until 26^th August 2016 and then will be touring an indoor version of the production later in the autumn. Full details are on their website. I’m sure the autumn cast will be equally brilliant, but it’s well worth catching the summer cast if you can!