Romeo and Juliet
Stick Together
Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Putney Theatre Company at the Surrey Docks Farm, Rotherhithe until 11th July, then on tour until 17th July
Putney Theatre Company (PTC) is currently touring South London with it outdoor production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Venues include pubs, churchyards and the by the side of the River Thames at Surrey Docks Farm, which is where I caught them on a warm sunny evening.
Directed by Tom Sainsbury, this really is (as the football pundits might say) a play of two halves. The first part has the mirth, merriment and ribaldry of many a Shakespeare comedy, but then everything takes a darker and more serious turn. This is often the case with Shakespeare, and even his most serious tragedies often feature a jester, but PTC really lean into this. For a long time, it feels like we are watching a fun, fast-paced comedy. There are many laugh out loud moments, and the cast gently but cleverly involve the audience in the fun.
Being one of Shakespeare’s most popular and performed plays, PTC have a lot to take on. They present the warring Capulets and Montagues as university rivalries. Rather than a street brawl, the show opens with the two sides playing a muscular hockey game. The Capulets don green clothing, and the Montagues are in blue. It is simple but effective, as is the set which consists of a single wooden box. This versatile prop is used as a doorway, a bed, a seat and for the famous balcony scene where Romeo admires Juliet from afar and hears her declaring her love for him.
Interspersed with a fast-paced score of 1990s pop music, there are some great comedic turns particularly from Mark McNaul as Benvolio and a captivating Romeo, Nathan Golo, channelling well-heeled, Hooray Henry vibes. When we are introduced to Juliet, played by Isla Bell we are reminded that these are all teenagers, and her youthful exuberance is a good foil to Golo’s Romeo. At times it felt that Bell was delivering her lines at high speed to simply get through the script, but her emotions came to the fore after Tybalt and Mercutio are slain and Romeo banished. As Juliet’s world begins to crumble, Bell brings believable pain and anguish that delivers an emotional punch, even when you know what is coming at the play’s conclusion.
PTC hasembraced a fairly faithful version of the play which includes elements often cut by others including the Prince of Verona acting as narrator to bring the play together and contextualise the plot. I rather liked this and I am sure it helped the younger members of the mixed, family audience. Not that everything is lifted verbatim from the First Folio – Romeo and Juliet are now 18-year-olds rather than the more troublesome 14 year-olds of the original.
This is a really accessible production performed by an energetic community theatre. Although there is a mixed bag of performances, there is certainly some real talent on display. Taking Shakespeare out into the world and finding an audience is to be applauded. Watching something written in the 1600s, overlaid with a 90’s theme, with a backdrop of modern riverside skyscrapers feels like we are transcending the generations. The result is a thoroughly enjoyable production.
Fi Mead-McNish, July 2026
Photography by Lesley Strachan and Tom Sainsbury
Mark Aspen 