REVIEW: Rubbish Romeo & Juliet - The Liverpool Theatre Festival

The Fourth Annual Liverpool Theatre Festival has not disappointed. This is the first time the festival has run during the Summer holidays and there have been a plethora of incredible shows suitable for the younger theatre-goer. I'm always so incredibly impressed by the calibre of the cast members for the productions showcased at this loved festival. The festival was created by the phenomenal Bill Elms, a Liverpool theatre producer with over 30 years of industry knowledge and expertise. Following Bill's mission to boost the city's creative sector following the Pandemic back in 2020, the annual staging of The Liverpool Theatre Festival has united the City and created joyous experiences  for all involved, from artists to attendees.

On Thursday 27th July, I had the privilege of attending Rubbish Romeo & Juliet which was brought  to the stage by the Rubbish Shakespeare Company. It was definitely rubbish by name but not rubbish by nature. The show previewed at St Luke's bombed out church ahead of it's appearance at the Edinburgh festival. The production company have certainly come a long way after having humble beginnings back in 2007. The nationally acclaimed creative education company now embark on National tours and make Shakespeare accessible to all. 

After mingling with the audience before the show, seeking their Romeo, the trio; Lee Hithersay, Thomas Galashan and Alex Mcdonald exploded onto stage as a dynamic trio with their 'box of pound shop props, a tattered floral dress, and a punctured old airbed they found by the bins.' 

Described as an 'accessible, interactive, and joyously anarchic version of Romeo and Juliet', the show was a wonderful display of slapstick comedy, physical theatre and a wonderful juxtaposition of seriously delivered lines true to Shakespeare's original works and hilarious foolishness. What I loved about the show was the way in which the ludicrous met the sublime and how the story was disseminated to the audience. It reached them, regardless of their age. There were equal amounts of Tomfoolery and equal amounts of seriousness. The audience were divided into Montagues and Capulets and encouraged to 'bite their thumb' in Act 1 scene 1. This is a gesture synonymous with raising the finger at someone, inciting them to violence, whilst offending them at the same time. As the Capulet side of the audience insulted the Montague side of the audience, the energy and engagement of the audience began to rise.

The cast donned face masks; Brendan O'Carroll from Mrs Brown's boys, Simon Cowell and Arnold Schwarzenegger and danced in character, much to the joy of the crowd. Sausage roll fights ensued as well as multiple re-enactments of fights between the feuding Montagues and Capulets. Each time a character died, they would rise to their feet, flapping their wings whilst stating in a melodic tone 'I'm an angel, I'm an angel'. It evoked laughter each time. 

It was Thomas Galashan's debut performance and he nailed it. The actor is Liverpool based and originates from Belfast, Northern Ireland.  This production was a brand new commission at the festival and it was marvellous. The weather was kind and the bombed out church provided a magnificent backdrop for the performance of one of Shakespeare's first plays. The show was highly interactive, engaging and utterly brilliant. The energy that the trio created and exuded was second to none. Their clothing bore the effects of their labour and their shirts were sodden with perspiration. They each performed as though their lives depended on it. The audience participation was incredible. Seeing the young audience members' eagerness to appear on the stage was heartwarming. There was a particular scene where a solo was required and the young man called to the stage was asked to deliver his best man's speech. Kudos to him when being put on the spot, his cool, calm retort was 'have you got any sweets?"

The cast are to be commended for this hilarious offering. It was a joyous afternoon and worth rushing to attend. I had to work immediately afterwards, so had to rush off but I absolutely had a smile on my face for the rest of the day as I recalled the one-liners and absolute ludicrous scenes that had played before me a few hours prior. I laughed out loud repeatedly during the show and many times afterwards.

It was a hoot and a wonderful way to spend a lunchtime. 

PR rating 4 stars ****

The Liverpool Theatre festival runs until 30th July