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Romeo & Juliet at the Young Vic

Steven Schrimpf

The Young Vic is currently showing Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with a twist.

The Iceland-based company's production features high-flying trapeze stunts, tumbling, gymnastics and some very unnecessary humour.

On the whole, it is very interesting and well-done; there are plenty of comical moments to keep every adult laughing and the Cirque-de-Soleil-esqe stunts will leave you in awe. However, there are some duller spots. This is not a performance to take the children to.

Most of the things are simply racey: Juliet's maid is a 300 lb hair-covered man who fancies nudity, Juliet's mother masturbates on stage and there are several homosexual gestures and motions both between characters and toward the audience.

These things are all tolerable to a point. However, the performance may cross the line between humour and blasphemy for many of you immediately prior to the intermission: of course, I mean Jesus. Yes, Jesus Christ himself is in the performance, nursing his wounds, smoking a fag and playing the guitar.

Depending on your personal tastes, this may cross the line for many potential viewers between funny and disgusting. Many of the audience didn't return following the interval. I myself was tempted not to. If you are capable of ignoring the homosexual references and have no particular ties to Christianity, this performances is certainly entertaining, but leave the children at home.

• Romeo & Juliet, a Vesurport production, is at the Young Vic until Saturday 25 October.
• 020 7928 6363

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