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ED2013 1/5 Reviews ED2013 Musical Reviews
Last Embrace (Tree Shadow Theatre Productions)
By Julian Joseph | Published on Friday 30 August 2013
‘Last Embrace’ is a musical adaptation of ‘Romeo And Juliet’, set in Northern Ireland during the early days of ‘The Troubles’. While an interesting premise, the translations from the original are distractingly close – most of the dialogue is simply paraphrased. Everything from the fights to the emotional breakdowns are either awkward or overacted, and those bits that actually work are dwarfed by the terrible, terrible, terrible, cliché-ridden, indistinguishable songs. Indeed, the over-the-topness of the songs takes away any weight from the drama. I do admire the company’s passion, and the first act is genuinely atmospheric with great energy, but this only lasts until the more-rapey-than-romantic ‘Romeo’ is established. The players should either perform ‘Romeo And Juliet’ or create something totally new that better fits their style.
Sweet Grassmarket, until 25 Aug, 5.05pm.
tw rating 1/5 | [Julian Joseph]
