All Roads Lead to Rome is yet another attempt to put a new twist on Shakespeare’s classics. However this time it actually works.
This original combination of Romeo and Juliet and Antony and Cleopatra focuses on the two pairs of ‘star-cross’d lovers’, drawing out the romance and tragedy seen in both plays. Charged with sexual tension the passion of the two couples is the dominant theme throughout the production, with the chemistry between Matt Maltby and Charlotte Norris, as Romeo and Juliet, especially believable. While the panting breaths and groping hands can seem slightly overindulgent at times, the overall impression of great love, and lust, is portrayed effectively by the cast. Culminating in a beautiful orchestrated final scene, which simultaneously depicts the famous final moments of each pair of lovers, the audience is left with a powerful impression of the terrible fates that befall them.
The star of the show was Alex Bowles, who offered a very accomplished performance as the conflicted and troubled Antony, torn between his love for Rome and for Cleopatra. Not only this, but Bowles also provides able portrayals of his additional characters in the Romeo and Juliet, making a particularly good Friar Lawrence. However, it was this use of only the 4 central cast members to play all parts that led to the key weakness of the play. While this restricted cast was the correct choice as far as direction was concerned, unfortunately not all the actors were able to switch between characters convincingly, with Maltby’s Octavius Caesar, in particular, leaving something to be desired.
In their primary characters, however, the casting is excellent. Ellen Buddle manages to tackle the complexities of Cleopatra’s discordant character, capturing her grand yet at many times histrionic manner well. While Charlotte Norris, as Juliet, seemed rather tense at times the youthful, helpless love between her character and Matt Maltby’s Romeo is portrayed wonderfully, although perhaps with a little less naivety than other productions!
The fusion between plays is achieved successfully, with effective use made of both lighting and props to signal shifts from one scene to the next. Proficient direction, from Will Maynard, meant some complex jumps and synchronizations between plays were achieved effortlessly, drawing out dual themes, without losing track of the separate plots.
Overall ‘All Roads Lead to Rome’ was an interesting, innovative and most of all enjoyable production. Despite only lasting an hour it manages to bring out the key elements of two of Shakespeare’s classic plays, and will leave you with a powerful impression of the heartbreaking endings of these two doomed love affairs.
4 Stars
