Shakespeare's tale of teenage love is brought to life with an authentic, very contemporary infusion of teenage vitality from the Young Auckland Shakespeare Company.
The deadly enmity between opposing houses is evoked by the frantic intensity of a netball match and a DJ pumps up the volume on a crowded dance floor to create an up-to-the-minute setting for the concealed identities at the Capulets' masked ball.
As the star-crossed lovers, Daya Czepanski and Matthew J. Smith capture the lightning-fast mood swings engendered by teenage hook-ups, while attention to Shakespeare's language ensures they also do justice to the lushly romantic declarations of love.
Murdoch Keane delivers a star turn as Mercutio with a great combination of cynicism and flamboyant theatricality that makes perfect sense of the Bard's complex word play.
Finding the right tone for the older characters is always a challenge for young actors but Phodiso Dintwe establishes an imposing presence as the Prince of Verona while Zachary Buckland is a suitably pedantic Friar and Harriett Maire builds a convincing portrayal of the Nurse.
