Review of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet : Chatsworth Players
- debra Hall
- Jul 10
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 12
Stage Review
Romeo & Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Lindsay Jackson
⭐⭐⭐
it is what it is explains away the experience of attending an amateur theatre performing Shakespeare outdoors. Throw caution to the wind and delight in both the positives and the negatives of the situation because how lucky are we (those in and around the Peak District) that Chatsworth Players exists! And what better way to spend a summer's evening with temperature cooling from its heady daytime highs, surrounded by beautiful countryside being so wholesomely entertained for a two hour duration! One can always sense the love and support this beloved theatre based community receives.
In regard to measuring its dramaturgical excellence this production falls under the mark of genius, but there is such a lot of good things about the whole event that far outweighs any negatives and which manages to hit many of the play's sweet spots.
The costumes are excellent, the crew are efficient with the moveable elements. Lindsay Jackson's direction sees various players singularly pacing the whole perimeter around the area where the audience are seated, to return to the stage front in perfect time for scenes in which they next appear. It is now a familiar dramatic device she uses.
The cast consist of a mixed bag of acting abilities. A regular player, who always contributes so much as a performer for the company, is Sean Day. An incredible Puck in a past production of Dream we see him cast as Romeo this time around. His character's changing moods sees him throwing everything to the task and there is much to be admired.
However, Romeo, like other characters in this Shakespearean tragedy, requires a constant shift of emotional pacing throughout. Day handles the complexities of language confidently (as do other players) but he is not alone in being unable to be any way 'dramatic enough' when acting in scenes which scream out for intense, strong feelings of characters to rise up.
A noteworthy all-round performance by Tess Edmonds, whose delivery of Juliet's monologue, where her character is mulling over her own question - what's in a name? is especially proficient.
All players wear microphones, the most captivating are Will Holmes as Mercutio and Lewis Hancock as Friar Laurence both possessing strong voices, deeply pitched and/or articulated clearly, ideal for the open air environment. Sally Shaw is the gratingly, cheeky Nurse who loves her Juliet (much to Juliet's embarrassment) her characterisation is instrumental in bringing about the lighter side.
The play is touring various outdoor locations in Derbyshire and Sheffield this July. Visit the website for details https://chatsworthplayers.com/
Review Romeo and Juliet : Chatsworth Players by theatre critic, Debra Hall who attended the first night performance of Romeo & Juliet at Wildhive Callow Hall, Ashbourne, Derbyshire on Thursday 09 July, 2026 at 7pm
REFERENCES
Cambridge University Press Chapter 1 Introduction: comedy as idea and practice - Two hours’ traffic Paragraph 3
Chatsworth Players William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet printed programme
Chatsworth Players Romeo and Alan Bennett are waiting for you... 04 July 2026
Hall, K. In what ways does Romeo change during the play? AQA Coursework English Literature
Chatsworth Players https://chatsworthplayers.com/
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