Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.“Fun” is not the word most readily associated with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. But there’s a good deal of the stuff to be had in Sean Holmes’ new production for Shakespeare’s Globe. Holmes’ staging, which kicks off the summer season here in exuberant style, is set in the Wild West.The machismo is riding high; the rivalries fester and seethe; the women wear gingham; the men sport Stetsons and cowboy boots. Characters burst through the saloon doors at the centre of Paul Wills’ set to swagger, brawl or lay down the law, the formal line dancing at the Capulets’ ball is turned into a sweaty, sexy hoedown by the gatecrashing Romeo and buddies (to music provided by a fabulous bluegrass band), and the story smoulders with heat, dust and energy.But the potential for violence simmers constantly beneath the jaunty atmosphere. A streak of blood down the wooden wall at the back of the stage bears testimony to the grim impact of all the fighting talk and Dharmesh Patel’s prince (a starchy sheriff here) is clearly exasperated by the bloodshed. The show is permeated by the senseless waste of life common to so many Westerns, where men face off under the beating sun, knives quickly give way to guns, and bodies regularly litter the saloon floor.In the face of all this, the haste of Romeo and Juliet’s romance makes sense — life is short and uncertain — and feels like an act of defiance. The hope of Jamie-Rose Monk’s earthy, affectionate nurse and John Lightbody’s stressed friar that the lovers’ union might forge peace is understandable, if ill-founded. Both have clearly witnessed enough death.You become keenly aware of the youth of Rawaed Asde’s cheekily charming Romeo and Lola Shalam’s feisty, forthright Juliet — impulsive teenagers trapped in a small frontier town, keen to experience life, love and sex. Shalam’s Juliet, in particular, strains at her leash and is clearly closer to her salty, sensible nurse than to her distant, formally attired mother. The balcony scene is played partly for laughs, with Juliet pushed on a mobile platform through the crowd, urging the ushers to get her closer to Romeo. But there’s a sweetness to the encounter: two exceedingly young people attempting to express their surging feelings fittingly.Holmes is good at comedy in this space and uses that experience well here — Michael Elcock’s playful, rash Mercutio flirts with the crowd, Romeo hides himself among them. That sometimes comes at a cost, however. Holmes could afford to let some later scenes breathe for longer: the ending — Juliet’s death in particular — feels rushed and sometimes the comedy unbalances the play.But there are also some wonderful ideas here. Character speak their final lines just after they have been killed, staring in numb dismay, as if shocked by the sudden reality of death. They all return too at the end as sober reminders of what has been lost to this mindless feud. And, for all its breezy comic flair, this production potently brings to the fore the stark tragedy that five vibrant young human beings have lost their lives over a few days, each snuffed out in an instant.★★★★☆To August 2, shakespearesglobe.com
