A production that feels like a relevant and thoughtful conversation between Shakespeare’s world and ours.
Walking into Hackney Empire for this new take on Romeo and Juliet, I could tell straight away this was not going to be a traditional night at the theatre. The atmosphere in the auditorium was charged not just with excitement, but with a sense that a lot of thought and genuine desire to reimagine the classic had gone into the production. Before the show even began, you could scan a QR code and vote for either the Montagues or the Capulets. A projection on a big screen showed the ongoing poll. It didn’t feel like a political stunt, but more like an invitation for the audience to step inside the Veronese world of the play, to become part of the social fabric rather than passive spectators. Being forced to pick a side made you realise just how uncomfortable and complicated loyalty and division can be, even when you think you’re just here to watch a story unfold.
Along with the interactive poll, the program we were given was styled like a local newspaper, another way of making the play feel immediate, alive, and close to home. This production doesn’t just address you; it pulls you in and makes you part of it.
The performance itself was brilliant. Music, live rapping, and modern rhythms blended seamlessly with Shakespeare’s original text, giving it a raw, emotional energy that kept the story urgent and relatable. One of the standout moments for me came with the death of Mercutio. The production didn’t overplay it or load it with obvious gang imagery, but the impact in the room was undeniable. Hackney, like many parts of London, has its struggles with knife crime — between 2012 and 2019, knife-related incidents here happened at a rate of 150 per 100,000 people. As Mercutio collapsed, you could feel the audience, a large part of it local, I suspect , fall into a heavy, chilling silence. No need for speeches or spotlights. The moment spoke for itself.
As for the performances, Dillon Scott-Lewis as Mercutio absolutely stole the show for me. Their mix of acting, rapping, movement, and sheer emotional depth captured exactly what this version of Romeo and Juliet aimed to achieve. Their performance was magnetic.
Kyle Ndukuba as Romeo had flashes of brilliance, but at times he felt a little too eager to hit every note of the text, slightly rushing the emotional beats. That said, he and Mia Khan as Juliet shared a sweet and believable chemistry, particularly during the famous balcony scene. Their interaction was infused with humour, lightness, and a moment of beautiful singing from Mia that made the scene feel fresh without losing its heart.
The set design was another big win for me. Simple revolving panels transformed with clever lighting — sometimes they felt like the hard stone walls of Verona, other times the stained glass of a church. It’s amazing how something so straightforward can be used so effectively to build atmosphere and place. The lighting overall was spot-on throughout the performance, subtly guiding the shifts in mood and scene without being intrusive.
If I had one minor criticism, it would be the costume design. Although there were moments where the contemporary styles worked well, at times it felt a bit overstuffed, like too many ideas were thrown in at once without fully settling on a cohesive look.
Overall, this was a night at the theatre that left me thinking, feeling, and deeply impressed. Romeo and Juliet at Hackney Empire is more than a retelling, it is a relevant and incredibly thoughtful conversation between Shakespeare’s world and ours.