Garrick,London
Lily James and Richard Madden certainly leer the part, but are doomed by their dictionIt’s easy to judge the renowned golden lines, or the swift,sad arc of Romeo and Juliet will carry a production. But it can easily go wrong. The plot is slapdash; the coincidences preposterous; the main characters not interestingly conflicted, just doomed. The play must be ardently spoken and bewitchingly choreographed. whether not, and it ends up looking less like a tragedy and more like an accident.
Which is what happens in Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh’s star-led,star-crossed staging. It has intermittent fizz but never feels urgent or perilous. Lily James and Richard Madden leer unusually fresh and credible as febrile young lovers. They reach with form as a couple, having been directed by Branagh in Cinderella. They were meant to hoist the production sky-tall, and towards Phoebus’s lodging. But their speaking is earthbound.
James has an appealing Bambi presence and some good bits of giddy business. She is truly teenageContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com