Romeo and Juliet
Victoria Baths, Manchester
Four stars

WHILE the finishing touches are applied to HOME’s new permanent base, the Cornershop company continues its itinerant journey around Manchester’s empty spaces and for this production of Shakespeare’s most loved tragedy it has commandeered the lovingly restored Victoria Baths.

Baz Luhrmann’s film of Romeo and Juliet was hailed as a reworking of Shakespeare for the younger generation and this magnificent production takes it a step further.

Although heavily edited, it captures the inner spirit of this great tragedy. It is smart, whimsical and immensely sad, yet leaves an unbelievably uplifting feeling as the cast take their final and well-deserved bow at the end.

Sara Vickers as Juliet — you probably won’t see one better — and Alex Felton as Romeo are outstanding as the star-crossed lovers. Vickers blends a perfect mix of youthful immaturity with a deep and all-consuming love while Felton’s Romeo is a typical lad falling in and out of love on a whim. Yet when Cupid’s arrow strikes, his heart explodes with uncontrollable passion.

So captivating are the performances that the lovers’ emotional roller-coaster ride is as draining for the audience as it must be for the actors.

There is excellent support from the rest of the cast, notably a brilliant nurse from Rachel Atkins, with her faux-Italian and skittish fussing around helping to lighten the dark journey of the two lovers and a beautifully camp performance from Ncuti Gatwa as the reckless Mercutio.

Director Walter Meierjohann uses all three of the pool areas to great effect and the semi-promenade production allows the audience to immerse themselves in the events unfolding around them. The visual impact of the final death scene is heart-stoppingly beautiful.

This production would melt the heart of any hardened cynic and it demonstrates the enduring power of Shakespeare to live on through the generations.

Highly recommended.

Runs until October 4, box office: homemcr.org