Review: Romeo and Juliet ***

This is a stylish take on Shakespeare's ever-popular tragedy. Pilot Theatre's reputation for productions easy on-the-eye has been well-earned and they don't disappoint with Romeo and Juliet.

The stage covered in flowers transforms from carefree party venue into the cold marble slab of a mausoleum in the twinkling of a light. It's atmospheric stuff. The company has a focus on stories about and for young people, so here the dress is contemporary, Juliet is the teenager embarrassed by her dad's dancing and who shrinks away at any talk of marriage to a man she has never met and Romeo is cut from the teen pin-up mould.

Given the reaction of the countless school parties that were in the audience, it's a formula that works, but behind the undoubtedly glossy exterior it's a production which sadly lacks gravitas.

Even with a story so well-known as Romeo and Juliet, it takes actors of some stature to be able to inject emotion into Shakespeare's iambic pentameter. Slightly robotic in the first half, Rachel Spicer as Juliet settles into the role after the interval and Oliver Wilson emerges as a convincing Romeo. However, Mary Rose struggles to get to grips with Lady Capulet as she moves from apparently cold-hearted mother to grieving parent, at times her voice barely audible.

Only William Travis as Juliet's father brings much needed depth to the stage, but even his efforts can't prevent the production from falling a little flat in places.

It's impossible to fault Pilot Theatre's intent, but the execution needs a little polishing.