Romeo and Juliet. By William Shakespeare. (Scala.) THE Marlowe Society
of Cambridge University has done well to celebrate its fiftieth production by coming up to London for a week. By the time this note appears Romeo and Juliet will have been succeeded by The Family Reunion, but there must be at least a few words of praise for a fine production. The full text was given (a rare generosity), and the prodncers, Mr. George Rylands and Mr. John Barton, in a programme-note state their sensible belief that " no pruning or tinkering will transform this early play into a Shakespearean tragedy Of the kind which he composed from Julius Caesar to Antony and Cleopatra."
Freshness, zeal, and emotional urgency kept the lyrical note sounding true even in the awkward passages where words run wild. Mr. Anthony White and Miss Teresa Moore were admirable in the leading roles, and so splendidly exuberant and stage-subduing was Mr. John Barton's Mercutio that one saw very clearly why Shakespeare had to kill off this character. Miss Gillian Webb's Nurse is a large and bold creation, and Mr. Peter Hall filled out Tybalt with a rare wealth of smiling insolence.
There were some strikingly good performances. The single setting, centred on a pavilion, was a model of efficiency, and the action moved swiftly forward, with no fussing. There is no need to say where we should always like to see Shakespearean productions
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