Mad March Hare’s production of Gary Owen’s Romeo & Julie brings some extremely talented performers to the stage but the work can’t escape the lack of imagination nor the emotional cliché of the script
Romy is just trying to do his best – navigating life as a single parent while trying to keep his mother sober, soon he meets Julie, a straight A student bound for greatness and reminded of it everyday. Together they form an unbreakable bond that sees them thrust into adulthood and a situation that neither are truly prepared for.
Like much of Owen’s work, this text leans heavily into a rather uninspiring formula – a characters socio-economic background defines who they are, intergenerational trauma becomes creative fodder and sacrifice is passed off as pseudo inspiration – all rolled into a script that settles for a surface level story than mining any kind of substance.
Director Claudia Barrie does a fantastic job of injecting some much needed creativity and excitement to the text as well as finding ways to use the small space – constructing moments that feel both intimate and huge. Superb pacing and detailed character work enable the work to find a connection with the audience and showcase Barrie’s keen eye and solid directorial choices.
Estelle Davis, Alex Kirwan, Claudia Barrie, Christopher Stollery, and Linda Nicholls-Gidley each bring such deeply moving performances to the stage, integrating clear and thorough character work within the moment reactions, that allowed honest and open moments to evolve in spite of the text.
Davis and Kirwan are utterly sublime as the star crossed lovers maintaining a naive innocence with a fierce maturity that challenges any preconceived notions the audience may have.
Geita Goarin’s multidimensional set is used perfectly and morphs the space into an array of locations with ease and limitless potential. Topaz Marlay-Cole’s lighting and Josh Anderson’s sound designs add an ethereal depth of the production but, at times, distract more than enhance the work.
As far as ensemble pieces go, Romeo & Julie provides a great opportunity for actors to flex their muscles and showcase their talents, which this work does well. It sadly does mean that audiences have to sit through yet another contrived and flawed script.
Romeo & Julie
KXT on Broadway, 181 Broadway, Ultimo (Sydney)
Season continues to 23 May 2026
Bookings: www.humantix.com
For more information, visit: www.kingsxtheatre.com for details.
Image: Alex Kirwan and Estelle Davis in Romeo & Julie – photo by Phil Erbacher
Review: Gavin Roach