Guildford Shakespeare Company has always prided itself on using the town as a backdrop to its performances with a variety of churches and outdoor spaces transformed into faraway lands, kingdoms and wonderlands. For its 18th birthday, however, it has a gone step further in celebrating the historic town, creating Verona in the high street and beyond. Montague and Capulet election posters adorn lampposts, traffic is barred from rumbling over Guildford’s famous setts and outside Holy Trinity Church, the Friar tends his garden.
As noted by director and co-founder Matt Pinches, Romeo and Juliet is a play of two distinct halves, and by staging the early, excitable scenes in promenade style, the audience are swept up in youthful optimism and the party spirit. Once the moving drama unfolds, it is fitting that the audience are sat and grounded in the beautiful castle grounds, the evening light dimming along with the mood of the characters.
But it is not only Guildford the place that is part of this production; the people of Guildford are too. Young performers from local schools and GSC’s drama club bring to life the warring factions in the street, committing to the fight choreography with determination. And an adult ensemble made up of local amateur and ex-professional performers also injects life into the Capulet ball. Tunsgate Quarter rings with laughter and a rousing rendition of "Come on Eileen", complete with energetic dance routine.
It is here that Romeo and Juliet first meet, and April Hughes and Christian James are well matched as the star-crossed lovers, bringing warmth, humour and wide-eyed innocence. Youthful but not childish, this lightness of touch helps deliver the emotional punches required to present such a well-known ending with power.
The production has an intangible freshness to it, the lovers supported ably by the experienced company. Emma Manton creates a Nurse who is not only a mother figure but also a mate, David Carr is a calming presence as the well-meaning Friar and Chris Porter and Laura Matthews present a complicated family dynamic in the Capulet household. As Mercutio and Benvolio, Daniel Burke and Luke Latchman are clearly having a blast, very busy being mouthy and urban whilst producing cans from a Waitrose carrier bag. They are almost entirely unrecognisable as Lord Montague and Paris, some neat multi-roleing that doesn’t distract from the narrative.
By immersing the audience in both time and place, Guildford Shakespeare has welded both the real community of Guildford and the temporary 'community' of Verona to the piece, adding a personal lens to the seemingly local tragedy. Whether you’re a Guildfordian or a visitor, Shakespeare fan or casual summer theatregoer, there is plenty to enjoy here; from eavesdropping on the Capulets inside the grounds of George Abbott Hospital to witnessing love blossom from the Guildhall balcony, it is a vibrant and lyrical version of this most famous play.