Romeo & Juliet - Wilts Gazette and Herald

To Maizey Lodge on a warm summer's evening, to see the Miracle Theatre's open-air production of Romeo & Juliet. Organising an outdoor event in a British summer is always a brave thing to do, especially when you think of the recent dreary years. Maybe it was something to do with the fact that the show was raising money for BLESMA; maybe the gods decided that really, enough was enough: but this time the sun shone, the birds sang, the picnics inspired envy and we were all reminded how wonderful a British summer can be.

Peter and Marion Gordon-Finlayson have been opening their lovely gardens to the Miracle Theatre for a few years now, helping to raise funds for causes dear to their hearts. To sit quaffing chilled wine, watching Shakespeare as the sun sets from a cloudless sky, is a treat: knowing that you're raising money for such an important charity as well, simply adds to the pleasure.

This Romeo & Juliet was performed by 6 actors on a clever minimal set. Of necessity, the text has been 'ruthlessly trimmed' (so the programme said) with a few modern comments added, bu the essence of this much-loved story still shone through. Poor Dom Powers had to take over at very short notice to play Old Capulet and Father Laurence, neither of whom are what you might call incidental characters; the brevity of hte notice was evident in the script he carried, but it took nothing away from the power of his performances. Juliet (Catherine Lake) was fresh and charming, and Wesley Griffith managed to play not only a rugged Romeo but also his father - though not, I hasten to add, at the same time. The cast was uniformly excellent, though Ben Dyson's nurse deserves a special mention, owing, as he did, more than a smidgeon to Monty Python.

I hope the Gordon-Finlaysons were able to send a nice fat cheque to BLESMA as a result of this lovely evening. I'm sure I join the rest of the good-sized audience in thanking them for their hospitality, for lending their garden to such a good cause, and for providing such a delightful summer's eve entertainment. Pat Harper, Theatre Reviewer, Gazette and Herald