Romeo & Juliet - Duke of York's Theatre

I have no doubt you’d have got it all in 2025 instead! Anyway I wasn't being entirely serious but even so after doing this job for 8 years now I do see occasional signs of fatigue even amongst the faithfuls.

Is there a reliable runtime for this?

Well, turns out I can't go to my original date so I got onto ATG about exchanging - they'll do it alright, but want an extra £200 so that's a 'nope'.

Ticket has gone off for resale via the theatre, I'm not sure how it works but there'll be a £145 ticket for Thur 25th available soon. Apparently they have to honour the original price.

Not having much luck with Shakespeare this week!

90% of the time, if I stand it's because the people in front of me have stood, and I wouldn't be able to see otherwise.

This one was not for me. Absolutely loved Sunset and planning to see it again on broadway, but I almost fell asleep multiple times during today’s matinee and felt absolutely no emotions throughout. Some top grade acting here for sure, but it all feels very forcibly cut off. To the actors detriment. Only so much you can bring playing almost a full show standing still, staring at the audience.

The very heavy music before curtain seemed to promise something the actual show never delivered. Did think the end of act one was spectacular.

The other night the couple next to me didn’t come back anfter the interval and I noticed some other empty seats in the RC before the start of act two, as well. Applause at the end was VERY muted and the standing ovation (as expected) was begrudgingly done so people could see the stage and really not for lack of excitement - and yes I looked carefully as I was fascinated by people’s reactions.

This is just a boring retread of things Lloyd has already done. It’s like he took his “Sunset” script (which was already a lot of things he’d done previously) and just replaced the names and kept all the schtick the same. It was tired and really it’s time to say goodbye to these “minimalist” shows that charge £200 for what’s essentially a reading of the script with fog and some cameras.

Double checking what I wrote but I don’t believe I said anyone was.

I saw this last week and honestly hated it. No emotions, super boring, and if I had an aisle seat, I would've walked out 10 minutes into the second act—it got that bad. Feels like a rushed attempt to cash in on something like Sunset Boulevard, but it really didn't work.
I wish I had spent my money (and evening) elsewhere - and if I had spent the prices they are charging now - I would be appalled.
It's safe to say, I will not be recommending this to anyone - but hey, I know some who have enjoyed it so each to their own!

Reflecting on this about two weeks later, my belated review:

Walking out the Duke of York, I wondered where the "bite" was.

At some point, I think my mind has come to one conclusion.

I'm likely going to get absolutely flamed for saying this, but I think Jamie Lloyd has played the biggest, cruelest prank on the West End since... I don't know when. Either deriving from burnout, his emotional state, how much work he's doing from his newfound popularity, etc. etc. To me, it feels entirely deliberate.

Two productions I'd seen: Sunset had an emotional and satirical core playing somewhat off NS's star power but the heart of the material still shone through. Cyrano pushed the concept of the verse and artistry of poetry to the forefront through modern reinterpretation an audience can understand. All the decisions he made in those productions weren't done simply just for style, they still served a meaning.


I think it truly hit when I was going over the programme. Tom Holland's page is basically an autobiography - small print text basically explaining his life, uselessly explaining the plot of the films he had been in. And then, turning the page to Francesca Amewudah-Rivers' profile, I laughed. And then I sort of stared at the page. And then I frowned. This has to be deliberate.

There's cynicism dripping from everything!. Because, the average teen girl or person isn't there for JL, or the incredible company of actors trying their damn best out there. They're there for Tom Holland.


It felt like a critique of "star power" in a completely inverted way from Sunset Boulevard. For the critics who said that Sunset was riding on the stunt cast alone, he's truly putting to the forefront that the reason these productions work isn't because there's a big star in it. Without a director leading a talented cast through a well thought through interpretation of the story there to helm the ship, it is devoid of life, boring. The problem is that the audience has fallen for this prank in droves. There's still an SO every night, regardless of what's in front of them.

Yeah, I do apologise. I'd rather make it bold or use italics but I wrote this mostly on my phone 🥲

Maybe when I get on my PC I'll edit it

This sort of thing is a regular occurrence these days.