Romeo and Juliet. Two starry-eyed lovers whose story ends in tragedy. This iconic and universally known play has been performed globally for centuries. The Shakespearean theatre group Come you Spirits’ performance of Romeo and Juliet onstage at the Darling Quarter Theatre, directed by Charles Mayer and Jo Mayer, was immersive.
Through the very first inclusion of the gentle tapping of a suspended gong by Charles Mayer, and the deep, beautiful sustained vibrational tones that Jo Mayer produced on the crystal singing bowl, the audience was introduced into the world of Shakespeare in a truly magical and harmonious way.
Romeo, played by Ciarán O’Riordan and Charlotte Edwards as Juliet performed the title roles. Both actors conveyed their characters’ young love with an earnestness and innocence, and in the second act, with the desperation and anguish that the characters needed. Who wouldn’t swoon with Romeo’s line, “Heaven is here, where Juliet lives.” O’Riordan aptly portrays Romeo’s intensity of his emotions, aligning Juliet with celestial skies, and taken alone without context of the whole quote, it is one romantic quote!
Edward’s delivery of one of my favourite lines was perfection –
“My only love sprung from my only hate,
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love is it to me
That I must love a loathed enemy.”
In one scene, Edwards was riveting as she faced the heartbreaking choice of following her father’s wishes of Juliet marrying a man he had chosen that she did not love, or face an uncertain future. Lord Capulet, played with a fierceness by Charles Mayer, had a cold stage presence which demanded obedience, or Juliet would be disowned and thrown out onto the street to survive on her own. This scene was particularly strong, and clearly conveyed as the turning point for Juliet’s future plans.
Mayer also played The Friar, the gentle well-meaning clergyman who secretly marries Romeo and Juliet in the hopes of bringing the two feuding families together, as well as being pivotal in providing the potion to Juliet. The two characters’ different personalities showcased Mayer’s acting talent.
Jo Mayer took on dual roles as Juliet’s Nurse and Tybalt. Her depiction of The Nurse was warm and nurturing, serving as a trusted confidante to Juliet. In stark contrast, Mayer brought great energy and passion to her portrayal of Tybalt, capturing their fiery temperament.
David Halgren accurately portrayed Mercutio as the lovable rogue that his character is. He captured the boisterous charm and brought a fiery zest to Mercutio, clearly shining and delivering the bawdy humour directly to the audience. His untimely demise, with the famous lines –
“A plague o’ both your houses.
They have made worms’ meat of me.”
was hard hitting and led to a chain of events that shaped Romeo’s future.
All actors’ accents and, in my opinion, difficult cadence of the Shakespearean language was performed with flawless professionalism throughout the play.
Another original touch to Come you Spirits Romeo and Juliet was the setting. Verona was set in the barren post-apocalyptic land. The characters wore bandanas and gaitors to cover the lower parts of their faces, in part to disguise who they were and to protect themselves from the tumbling dust from sandstorms and brown leaves strewn around the stage. Lighting and sound played a large part in this play, with spotlights, sirens and announcements from the unseen higher hierarchy that alluded to a chaotic environment.
Lighting Design was by Adam Applebaum and the mood he created set the play’s authenticity to bringing our attention to where he wanted us to be.
Kudos to Brandon Read, who composed and performed original music for Romeo and Juliet. Together with his sound design, it completed this magical play. The audience heard Gregorian Chanting, and Read composed the tracks to Solfreggio frequencies, which throughout the show, aligned with our seven chakras.
This was a truly original experience, different to any Romeo and Juliet play I had previously seen. The characters’ movement around the theatre, into the area where we were, and talking to the audience gathered us all together. Shakespeare would have been impressed seeing this interpretation of Romeo and Juliet through Come you Spirits eyes. And he would have left feeling peaceful and fulfilled, at a night witnessing a tale of comedy and tragedy, ending with a grounding and beautiful meditation of gratitude to people and nature. This is a gorgeous production of Romeo and Juliet, do not miss seeing this and being taken away into the world of Shakespeare.
Romeo and Juliet is showing at Darling Quarter Theatre 20 – 22 May 2026 and at the Concourse Theatre Chatswood 28-30 May 2026
Tickets: www.comeyouspirits.com/in-sydney
Running time: 2 hours with a 15 minute interval
To book tickets to Romeo & Juliet, please visit https://www.darlingquartertheatre.com.au/event/come-you-spirits-romeo-and-juliet/.
Photographer: Syl Marie Photography
