Summer Pickings
Entertainment Guide; Stage Whispers
STEVEN CARROLL
23 December 1994
The Age
Also in the park, this time the Botanic Gardens, is Glenn Elston’s production of Romeo and Juliet. The play, about star-crossed lovers and appropriately staged in the gardens of the old Observatory, features Nadine Garner as Juliet and Jack Finsterer as Romeo. The other crowd favorite, Mercutio, is played by Rhys Muldoon.
With its themes of blood feuds and clan wars (given a contemporary relevance in the recent documentary Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo) Elston considered setting the play in contemporary Ireland.
But it’s the enjoyment of the occasion and the audience participation that Elston wants to emphasise.
“I want the audience in the action. Of course, I’m not forgetting this is a tragedy and we’re walking a fine line. But that’s what makes these productions so enjoyable. I want to preserve some of the feeling of fun of being part of the production that audiences have enjoyed in previous productions.”