Intermission Youth Theatre is, by its own admission, no ordinary theatre company. Originally founded by an actor-turned-minister in 2001, its mission is to bring young people from disadvantaged background into theatre and the arts. With a steadily rising profile (it counts Mark Rylance and Sylvia Syms among its supporter), unique proposition and arresting current production, it’s hard not to get a bit excited about what these guys are doing.

The group’s current show, Love Me to Death is Romeo and Juliet transported to London (think West Side Story meets Tower Hamlets). Modern reimaginings of Shakespeare have the potential to be disastrous affairs, but luckily a combination of witty and inventive writing and a superb cast make it a winner.

The most striking aspect of the production was its dizzying use of language. Shakespeare’s verse and prose is intermingled with street slang that is simultaneously arresting and unexpected but also flowing and natural. The effect was, in the first instance, to ground the writing in a contemporary setting and link it to the everyday lives of the cast. But further than this, it added touches of humour, hints at subplots and intrigue beyond the original text. In other words: it achieved exactly what a modern adaptation of Shakespeare should.

The success of this approach was, ultimately, a testament to the skill of the performers. The masked chorus in particular worked well as they achieved an incredible unity that was mesmerising to watch. Mo Barrie as Romeo and Eleanor Lees as Juliet depicted the eponymous couple in a more chaste, less impassioned, manner than some readings, but nevertheless worked well together. Danielle Adegoke as Benvolio, Micah Loubon as Capo and Madeleine Bafoku as Florence stood out in supporting cast for their ability to portray rambunctious humour, unbridled rage and subtle wit respectively.

The performance was followed by a question and answer session with the cast and creatives. It served to show the close relationships and commitment to the project among the cast, but was derailed by a slightly hectoring tone from the compere. Notwithstanding this bizarre end, Love Me to Death is a prime of example of how drama can bridge the gap between the rarefied world of the theatre and the lived experience of everyday life.

 

Love Me to Death is playing at St Saviour’s Church until 19 November. For more information and tickets, see Intermission Youth Theatre website.