When Romeo Met Juliet: Episode 1
Two schools, not exactly alike in dignity - one comes from the posh end of Coventry, the other not - are brought together to put on a major production of that old stalwart, Romeo And Juliet.
It’s one of those documentaries with a somewhat contrived set-up: these kids would never have met under normal circumstances. That, of course, is somewhat the point: there’s a good few of these children who haven’t even previously considered acting as something within their remit. The programme’s own remit is clearly to enthuse and move, showing the developing stories of this initially awkward youngsters, and in this it largely works very well.
Drama tutors come in the form of Adrian Lester, one of our premier and most skilful actors, so it is with great and crushing inevitability that he’s introduced as the ‘star of Hustle’. He’s joined by Lolita Chakrabarti, who, equally predictably, is introduced not as an actress in her own right, but simply as Adrian Lester’s wife. They have a charming and easy-going chemistry, quite deliberately playing to camera from time to time in a way that never feels like needy actors hogging the screen.
Easily the best moment this week is when a youngster, utterly failing to deliver his audition piece (which is the prologue to the play), bashfully asks if he can invent a rap by way of apology. He then, almost inevitably, delivers a blistering, energetic, and simply fun rap that - of course - feels exactly how you’d want the prologue of Romeo And Juliet to be delivered.
In this episode at least, stealing the limelight is Artistic Director Paul Roseby, certainly somebody you’d want in your corner. Passionate and encouraging, he nonetheless has no compunction about telling terrified kids who have just survived their first audition that their acting is, frankly, not that good. It’s fascinating to watch him in the directorial and casting process - really wanting to cast Juliet in a slightly original way, but, aware of the entire production as a whole, conceding that his instincts might need to be revised. In these moments alone, When Romeo Met Juliet becomes essential viewing for actors and directors alike.
Like Romeo And Juliet itself, this sort of thing has been done many times before - and it will doubtless be done many times again. Refreshingly, however, this programme is good at appearing to document only facts: in other words, while the over-reaching situation is something of a contrivance, nothing else appears to be: there’s no overly confident kids to boo and hiss, no hopelessly deluded actor to deride and laugh at. In the year of the very last Big Brother, this is a genuine breath of fresh air. Vital viewing for the summer nights, and very far from a tragedy.
Airs at 9pm on Friday 4th June 2010 on BBC Two.
Reviewed by Andrew Allen.
