My Review

At the beginning of the programme, we are introduced to Harlesden, North West London, and Paterson Joseph, the man who will direct this production of Romeo and Juliet. Paterson grew up in Harlesden and knows the area well. He openly admits it's not really a place to be associated with Shakespeare. He says he was shy as a child, but found drama allowed him to express himself. Shakespeare changed him, and now he wants to excite and perhaps challenge the people that he grew up with by exposing them to Shakespeare's text. However Paterson is an actor, not a director. He has never directed anything before, and yet he feels propelled to introduce Shakespeare into this neighbourhood. He acknowledges most people in this area know very little of Shakespeare, but does not see why they cannot learn to understand the text. He acknowledges however that it is a daunting task. For inspiration, he turns to someone who directed the most popular ever version of Romeo and Juliet, a film that touched a new generation, Baz Luhrmann. From Sydney, Baz will be looking on and giving some much needed advice along the way.

Step one is to spread the word about the open auditions. We follow Paterson as he literally hands out leaflets on the streets, inviting people to come and audition. Auditions take place at Harlesden Baptist Church and decisions are made. We then see Paterson meet individually with each of the men and women chosen to play the principal characters. Most of the chosen cast are happy and grateful, but there are a couple who aren't as enthused and don't seem to take the project very seriously. These are Mustafa, who plays Mercutio, and Christina, who plays Abraham. This worries Paterson but, nevertheless, he chooses to believe in their ability to perform. Also, Muska, who plays Juliet, has not told her parents about the project, as they are strict, but she assures Paterson she will do the play.

Paterson worries that he doesn't know what he has got himself into, but he thinks it is going to be alright in the end. He goes to Baz for some inspiration and hooks up to the satellite link, with Baz sitting in his office in the House of Iona, for a chat:

Baz: "Paterson, Paterson, come in Paterson."
Paterson: "Hey Baz, thanks a lot for being my mentor. What is it that I need to do with this bunch of mavericks - none of them are actors - to make them pick up this Shakespeare - weird, strange text - and make it true to them today?"
Baz: "Most importantly, that they understand not only what they're saying, but what they're trying to do, so that if the production suddenly ground to a halt because someone froze up, they could actually continue the scene in their own language, that they possessed it so fully and so absolutely, that they've made it their own. You've just got to make it - you've got to get to that place with them."
Paterson: "Well, listen, I hope I'm still smiling by the end of four weeks. But certainly, after three and half weeks, I'm going to come back to you, because I'm probably going to need help."
Baz: "Sure thing, man, no problem."

Paterson admits that he is only used to acting, not directing, and he knows he will find it difficult to 'walk onto the other side of the table'. He assembles his 18 strong cast at the first rehearsal. Two of the cast members are late, but they continue without them. They sit around a table and discuss their characters.

Mustafa, who plays Mercutio, has trouble understanding his lines, and Paterson tries to translate it into a more modern context. Indeed, he tries to help all his cast better understand the text. In terms of performance, Paterson has particular trouble with Muska, who plays Juliet. She is an Afghanistan refugee who has never even held a boy's gaze before, let alone anything else. She is uncomfortable about having to pretend to kiss her Romeo. She is shy and reserved onstage, and Paterson has difficulty trying to bring her out of her shell. She says on camera she is not a good actress and can't act - she just reads lines. Her self confidence is clearly lacking, but nevertheless Paterson believes in her ability.

Paterson aims to bring the performer's own raw experiences from life on the streets into their interpretation and performance of the play. Some of the cast have seen friends die in front of them. Jonathan, who plays Romeo, gives a lengthy, harrowing account of how he was stabbed - twice - in the back during a gang fight, and how frightening this ordeal was for him. These accounts bring into perspective some of the experiences that can be used by the actors to help bring a sense of reality to these unfamiliar characters they are preparing to portray.

Unfortunately, some of the cast have problems turning up for rehearsals on time. For example, Mustafa, who plays Mercutio, and who initially failed to turn up at a meeting point to hear from Paterson he had won the part, is shown on camera being grilled by Paterson and Bindu, the assistant director. Then Sean, who plays Benvolio, is also grilled for being late. Afterwards, we see them both on camera admitting they were deliberately taking the mick, testing the boundaries, and that they were actually waiting to be told off before correcting their ways.

We then discover Mustafa hasn't learned a word of his part, and Paterson is getting impatient. Mustafa admits its much harder than he thought it would be, and seems to struggle with the commitment he requires to give to his role. He doesn't understand the text, and Paterson and Bindu acknowledge that. Indeed, much of the cast is still having problems with understanding the text.

The director uses a change of tactics, and arranges for two of the actors, Mustafa and Sean, to perform some scenes outdoors in the middle of Harlesden. Mustafa seems to improve, and we see him practising his lines, declaring his dialogue loudly. As for Sean, he still has lateness issues. With just two and a half weeks to go, the director gives him one final warning that he will replace him if he lets him down again.

With nine days to go, the inexperienced cast are still struggling with the opening scenes. We see them practising outdoors in a park, with Paterson trying to bring the sequence together. He acknowledges how it is hard for the cast to express themselves for, in their world, they often have no one pushing them to succeed and no reason to fully express themselves. It is therefore proving difficult for them to really perform and let themselves become Shakespeare's characters. The cast is nervous, and they admit it. Adrian, who plays Tybalt, even admits he has a problem with looking into the eyes of another man, as he feels the gesture suggests homosexual tendencies.

Paterson admits some of the play is in a pretty poor state. He brings in a vocal coach to try and help the performer's voices. Furthermore, in order to help solve Shaun's lack of commitment, he decides to take the part of Benvolio away from Shaun, and plans to give it to another performer who was cast in the smaller role of Balthasar. Shaun is not pleased, and we can see that he is very disappointed. Paterson relents. He says he has to listen to what he is saying and trust him. He tells him to learn his moves, but if he sees him being unsure on stage again, he will give the part away. In particular, Shaun needs to commit to the part emotionally.

Paterson says to his cast, quite frankly, that he wants them to "open up to the emotions in the scene". He then states quite bluntly, "I will not let you look like arseholes". Paterson explains his cast needs to take their parts more seriously, that people need to come to rehearsals practically dressed and not wear anything expensive. Amazingly, he reveals that some of the cast are refusing to lie down when they die because they do not want to crease their clothes!

Paterson then says they will embark together on an emotional workshop. We hear that an emotional workshop is a well tried device to make actors more convincing, as Paterson knows emotion in ghetto life is not well received. The workshop begins, and the cast soon let loose, with the whole group being asked to convey various emotions as Paterson spurs them on. Joy, anger, success - they switch from one to the other with great effect. Paterson is impressed and the workshop seems to have been a success.

Paterson acknowledges a particularly strong emotional commitment is required for Romeo and Juliet's death scene. He therefore takes some of the cast to a local cemetery at sunset to rehearse this very important sequence. As night begins to fall, they head to the chapel, which will double as the Capulet family vault. Muska, as Juliet, lies down on top of a tomb inside the chapel, and Jonathan, as Romeo, walks slowly through the cemetery holding white lilies. He finds her lying there, gazes at her, climbs on the tomb and hovers above her as he cites his lines. Paterson tells him to imagine she is the most beautiful woman in the world and he is making love to her with his words. He is jealous of death, jealous that it has taken her from him.

While Jonathan seems to gain a lot from the cemetery rehearsal, at the other extreme, Karen, who plays the Nurse, is having a lot of difficulty in conveying grief in her performance. She receives extra assistance from the directors in rehearsing her scenes but, despite this, Bindu is put in the wings to play the Nurse, if necessary. Paterson admits that, as the director, you are kind of the enemy, you can't be a friend, because the cast can try and manipulate you, try to get out of doing what you need them to do because you're a mate. Paterson believes Karen is not effectively communicating the emotions involved in her role and, as a first time director, he is grappling with how to manage the crisis. With just five days to go, it seems the role of the Nurse may suddenly become vacant.

Paterson tries one last time to coach Karen as the Nurse. Paterson advises her that, with a lot of the cast, he is seeing the reality of their lives conveyed on stage, but he hasn't seen it from her at all. He says this has to happen now, as they have run out of time. She just doesn't seem to get it, so Paterson pulls her outside and says it seems she is finding it hard to take direction from him. He now only has four days and needs actors to confidently do scenes. He says she has taken a lot of energy out of the scenes because of her own insecurities. He then gives her the news that it would be best if she didn't continue. Afterwards, he breaks the news to the cast, who are a bit shocked by the sudden announcement.

With morale at a low ebb, Paterson sends the lead actors to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on the Thames, guided by Mark Reines, celebrated Romeo interpreter. The cast have never been there before, and seem to thoroughly enjoy the experience. We see the cast acting out some scenes on the Globe stage, complete with swords! Muska asks Mark about the actors themselves in the days of Shakespeare, and he explains how boys and men played women's roles. He advises that a job performing at the Globe would have been the equivalent of being a Hollywood star today. It was the top job you could get, the most secure, and with the most money. Muska then heads up to Juliet's balcony and peers into the stadium. She seems impressed, and she and Jonathan play out part of the balcony scene.

We then move to Shakespeare Road back in Harlesdon. It is very different to the Globe, but a fitting place to rehearse the balcony scene. A group of bystanders look on in bemusement, but the two lead actors seem totally wrapped up in their parts, and the rehearsal continues as the light fades to darkness. Inbetween the balcony scene rehearsal, we see Baz on a balcony of the House of Iona. He explains the importance of the scene, and interprets some of the text. Baz explains,

"She's not going 'Romeo Romeo, where are you?' She's actually going, and I think Claire Danes does this very well, she's going 'Romeo, Romeo, why are you Romeo? Why are you called that name? Why? Why do you have to be Romeo?' So, just because you're called a Montague doesn't mean you're a bad person, does it? Here is a young person trying to work out what is it the adult world knows that she doesn't that someone - because of their name - why should they be automatically not a good person?"

With four days to go, the cast receives some advice from Baz via satellite link. First, Paterson speaks with Baz. Paterson is sitting in a chair and speaks with Baz through a television and cable link. Baz is sitting in what looks like his study in the House of Iona and speaks through his own television using the same cable connection.

Baz: "Paterson, this would be my first question to you. What is the worst possible thing that could happen?"
Paterson: "The worst possible thing that could happen to them is that they would blank, they wouldn't know what they're doing, where they are, where they should be going - that's an actor's nightmare."
Baz: "It's about, really, all of you agreeing, hey, what does it matter? Now, if you've got an audience sitting there and something goes wrong, the honesty in which you solve that together, and the humour is which you solve that together, will only make the night, the work, the story, the language, better."
Paterson: "I have a Romeo - Jonathan Taylor. What he won't do for me is tap into that rage. How do I get something a bit more passionate and truthful from him?"

Jonathan then takes a seat and speaks with Baz.
Baz: "Hey Jonathan, how are you, man? Here's a question, is it a fear of the language, is it remembering the lines, is it as simple as that, or is it something else?"
Jonathan: "I think I can remember the lines, it's more expressing what Shakespeare is trying to say within the lines. I don't think I'm hitting it on the head."
Baz: "The key thing here is, it's not what Shakespeare is trying to express, it's what you are trying to express to that other person that you're acting opposite. You only have one job, and that is to know what it is you're doing to the other actor, what do you want from the other character. Do you want Juliet to like you, are you trying to impress her, are you trying to not scare her away? If you run with that, it simply cannot go wrong."
Jonathan: "Let's hope you're right then, shall we?"
Baz: "In the end, it's called a play, because people are players and they play, and it's a game, it's a big, fun, silly, but profoundly beautiful, moving, human game."

Muska then takes a seat and speaks with Baz.
Muska: "Hi Baz!"
Baz: "Hi Muska. I did want to say a little something to you, which is, you need to focus on Jonathan. You need to help him. You want to get off yourself and not focussing on what you're doing, but you want to be focussing on how can you make the other actor, how can you effect them."
Muska: "I understand. It's still hard and I'm still doing the same thing, yeah, I understand you. I understand you. Cool."

Finally, the entire cast stands in front of the camera.
Baz: "...there is just something incredibly exciting for me. And also, there could not be a more important story for any group of people to tell, no matter how they tell it. That group of people, the audience, they're there because all they want is joy, and provided as a group, you agree, and Paterson is included in this, that no matter what happens, no matter how the lines go, no matter who remembers, whatever happens, as long as you all agree that somehow you're just going to tell the story, absolutely nothing can go wrong."

With two days to go, we watch parts of a final rundown of the play in the church hall. We see short segments from various scenes, and Paterson praises his cast for getting a two hour Shakespeare play under their belt. He says it needs a bit more energy injected into it but, overall, he is very happy. Nevertheless, Muska is a little upset, and doesn't believe she's done enough. She is still not happy with her performance, despite reassurance from Paterson.

On the day of the technical rehearsal, the cast head to the RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) Theatre, where the play is set to be performed to an full house. They rehearse the play in full, but afterwards Paterson is not very happy. He addresses the cast and says they are not listening to what he is saying, they only have themselves to blame. He said the performance was embarrassing to watch, it was played out much too slowly and lazily and needs energy. This afternoon, they need to do a speed run, where they will perform fast. As Paterson says, "You just go fast!" Jonathan admits it feels different actually performing onstage, and the experience is rather frightening, even with an empty house.

The cast do a complete speed run that afternoon back in the church hall. Paterson seems very pleased with it. They have now reached their last rehearsal and Paterson says they've done a great job. Bindu only has a couple of days to learn the role of the Nurse. She seems quite daunted by task, but Paterson has faith in her. He tells the entire cast he is very proud. Indeed, he couldn't be more proud of them.

On the eve of the performance, Muska is still tackling her lack of self confidence. Paterson speaks to her personally, and says he would love it if he could put his opinion of her into her head and convey to her his faith that she can do it. But Muska is still struggling with her own beliefs about her ability. Jonathan is also nervous, but says he is definitely ready.

On the morning of the performance, in keeping with old habits, Sean and Mustafa are late to arrive. But they do turn up and everyone boards the coach that will take them to the RADA Theatre. Jonathan and Muska sit together on the coach and Jonathan asks if she is nervous. She says not anymore, she is alright. Jonathan says he doesn't know what is expected of him, but he is willing to give it a go and do his best. Muska physically connects with Jonathan for the first time as she helps him prepare backstage in a dressing room and sees the two scars from his stab wounds on his back. As the cast prepare backstage, a full house in the RADA Theatre awaits them.

Then comes the moment of truth - the performance itself. We see segments from the opening prologue, the fight scene between the Montague and Capulet boys, then Mercutio's Queen Mab sequence. We then see parts of the initial meeting of Romeo and Juliet at the Capulet Ball, with Muska and Jonathan both wearing sunglasses (as masks? a novel idea!) Muska seems to handle kissing scenes just fine and her confidence shows. We then move onto Mercutio's death scene and then the big one, the death scene of Romeo and Juliet. We see Juliet lying in the vault and hear much of Romeo's powerful speech. Finally, there is a brief clip of the closing epilogue.

The cast curtain call is greeted with rapturous applause. Backstage, the cast are overjoyed by their success and the warm reception they have received by the audience. Paterson admits to crying during the performance, as he thought it was "just beautiful". Paterson says he thinks somehow there is a "little miracle of openness in there", and if that little chink lets in a little bit of light into the cast's lives, then that's amazing. Indeed, much of the cast say they have been effected by Shakespeare's text and many now want to learn more about his works. They feel proud of themselves and their success. They seem more positive about their abilities and about life in general, and it is obvious that the project has been a great success.