Captivate Theatre presents ‘Smashing Shakespeare’- A comedic musical adaption of Shakespeare’s most infamous plays ‘Romeo & Juliet’ and ‘Macbeth’. Book by Sally Lyall and music by Tommie Travers, Lyall also directs this production alongside Scott Coltman. Audiences can see these family-friendly, informative and laugh-out-loud shows from the 5th-27th (Excluding Sundays and 22nd, 23rd and 24th) of August at the Rose Theatre, Edinburgh. This review is covering the performance of ‘Juliet & Her Romeo’ on Saturday 6th August 2022.
The cast of this production of ‘Juliet & Her Romeo’ consists of a troupe of talented theatrical individuals. Lifting the show with his extra-long arms is Scott Binnie’s portrayal of Tybalt and Paris. Binnie balances both roles brilliantly between being the man of honour as Tybalt and a man of sophistication as Paris. Georgia Lee and Megan Gall, terrifically support the production in their respective roles of Lady Capulet (Lee) and Prince (Gall) producing some great comedic moments. Director Scott Coltman also plays one of the titular star-crossed lovers as (the smelly) Romeo. Coltman’s fantastic comedic timing makes him an exciting performer to watch, with natural slapstick ability allowing for Coltman’s tongue-in-cheek nature to shine in this role. Sandy Bain’s saucy ‘Nursey’ was able to effectively deliver the Panto dame style humour, providing audiences with a great source of entertainment. Aidan Cross complemented Coltman’s Romeo as best friend Mercutio and later on as the Poison Seller creating bouts of laughter throughout the performance. Danielle Logan’s ‘Rosaline’ may have been a “plot device” but Logan’s sassy energy during her solo number commanded the audience’s attention and appreciation of Logan’s vocal talents. Also playing the naïve Samson Logan’s lively energy encouraged audiences to also want to “bite your thumb” too. Sally Cairn’s Juliet was brilliant, with the ability to flip from delicate flower to demanding diva, delivering some great laugh-out-loud moments. Rounding out the cast is Linzi Devers as ‘Benvolio’. Filled with infectious energy, Devers delivers by providing great moments of hilarity.
As an ensemble, the cast produced a high-energy production, with wonderfully arranged vocal performances and delivering joke after joke.
Lyall’s book follows the essence of Shakespeare’s narrative and the use of clever wordplay throughout produces a brilliant adaptation of the famously tragic love story. Music by Tommie Travers makes it impossible for these catchy musical numbers to not get stuck in your head. Lyall and Coltman’s direction allows for the stage to become a safe learning environment and invites audiences to get lost in the wacky retelling of this Shakespearean classic.
Overall, this family-friendly show is filled to the brim with jokes, fun musical numbers, and high-energy performances. I would recommend this show as a great introduction to the world of Shakespeare.
You can book your tickets for Captivate Theatre’s Smashing Shakespeare via the link below…
Theatre Scotland 
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