Last night I experienced one of the finest nights I have spent at the theatre.

The Auckland Theatre Companies Romeo and Juliet is a major theatrical event.

Directed by Benjamin Kilby-Henson with so much style and imagination but not style for the sake of it, style with depth and truth that made Shakespeare’s words sing.

He was helped here by the totally committed ensemble cast and the amazing set, sound and lighting from Dan Williams (Production Design), Filament Eleven 11 (Lighting), Robin Kelly (Sound Design), and Daniella Salazar (Costumes).

The play opens in an abandoned ballroom in 1960 Verona with Juliet, draped on a full sized billiard table, contemplating a sleeping potion to fake her death. Death then rewinds the narrative to reveal how she has arrived at that fateful moment.

Death is played by Amanda Tito with a performance that is incredibly impressive. 

With a clear, strong, expressive voice that she uses like a jazz scat singer with rhythm and cadence, together with quirky body movements, a domineering stage presence and a steel like gaze, hers is a performance to cheer and loudly applaud.  Her Petra, servant to the Nurse, is a joyful tour de force in itself.

I will never forget it.

Death leads the cast through the scenes that lead up to the death of the two lovers.

What scenes they are!

With voluminous drapes and banks of Gothic arches flying in and out to great effect, we get a marvellous ballroom scene at the house of the Capulet Family where, with the Crystals hit, “And then he kissed me”, blasting from the record player, the gorgeously dressed cast, hidden behind marvellous masks, dance and preen like mating birds. 

Courtney Eggleton as the Nurse becomes an audience favourite after only speaking a dozen lines. 

Relishing the humour of the words and with super comic timing, I so look forward to each entrance.

Ryan Carter as Mercutio, a scene stealing part, does as any terrific actor would, and steals all his scenes with energy in his words and movement and with a wonderful slightly camp physicality. 

His relationship with Liam Coleman as Benvolio, comes as a surprise to me and the rest of the audience who gasped when they first kissed. Not in a negative way but it took me by surprise as I had never seen this development of their friendship before in other productions and it now makes total sense.

Miriama McDowell as Whaea Lawrence develops her role beautifully. With a relaxed charm, clear expressive vocals and face, Ms. McDowell makes the Friar role her own.

Phoebe McKellar as Juliet and Theo David as Romeo are perfect star-crossed lovers. 

Even though you know the story inside out, it is beautiful to feel excellent actors carry you away and make you believe in them and the situation again.

A man, in his 50’s, sitting on my right, wept openly as the lovers died and the woman on my left was also crying at the emotional scene in front of us.

A testament to the truth of the fine acting of the lovers.

All the actors have a precise understanding of the script and together with the expressive movement, great intensity and vocal clarity, they all add to the play to make this a most memorable night at the theatre.

There are also some still moments of great beauty and again, intensity.

This is an extraordinary production.

Congratulations to everyone involved across all aspects of this show but mostly to the Director Benjamin Kilby-Henson for his vision and expertise.

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