Romeo and Juliet: an unmissable performance in Ludlow castle

I saw the play on the 14th of June 2024 and have been left speechless. From the creative stage, gorgeous music and singing and simple yet stunning costumes to the incredible stage fighting and –to put in the plainest terms- entrancing acting. Flabbergast Theatre did not waste a single moment and instead packed every second with such rich visual and auditory content that I could spend hours if not days unpacking and being amazed by. 

It was performed in Ludlow castle which was such a wonderful choice of locations. The historic walls framed the scaffolding stage so perfectly it was like it was built for the performance. The scaffolding itself had a great design, performers climbing on it in ways that felt so elegant in some scenes and animalistic in others. The mere way the performers moved was entrancing. Even the background characters were not forgotten and had many moments in the spotlight. The entire audience was hung on every word and was laughing regularly at the jokes. I did not see a single person looking bored or distracted and there was a well-earned thrum of excitement and standing ovation at the start of the intermission. 

Unfortunately, around halfway through the first part of the play, the near apocalyptic rain began. Despite the heavy rain, cold and thunder, the performance went on seamlessly until the intermission. The actors adapted instantly and even managed to joke about the unlucky weather within the performance. I was so impressed by how they went on undeterred and remained audible and energetic in conditions that would cause so many to give up. Sadly, during the intermission, they announced that the performance could no longer continue that night as it was no longer safe or healthy for the actors. While I am sad that I could not see the whole performance, I am glad they put an end to it before potential incidents and I am so thankful for what I did get to see. They also generously invited the audience to another night of the performance to see the rest and came and sang a couple of songs under the shelter where the seating was which was so kind of them.

While I -regrettably- will not be able to attend one of these future performances, I truly hope that this review will encourage you to attend one of their performances of Romeo and Juliet at 19:30 from the 15th to the 23rd of June. You will not regret it. I look forward to seeing more work from Flabbergast Theatre and hope they return to Ludlow in the next Fringe Festival.