It is an unwritten rule that shows with quirky names often have few merits and are best avoided but this high school production of Romeo and Juliet seems to be the exception. Admittedly this comic interpretation of Shakespeare within Shakespeare will have purists clamouring for the exits but if you’re prepared for smiley, bouncy American teens having fun with the Bard then Dude!… is for you.
From some pretty shambolic beginnings, this large ensemble manages to claw their way out of chaos to create a highly entertaining slapstick incarnation of the Bard’s tragic lovers, substituting the cast and crew for the warring families of Verona. With a combination of Three Stooges clowning, purposeful overacting and hilarious takeoffs - West Side Story, Thriller and The Matrix to name a few - the pupils of Loyola Academy have managed to craft a colourful and enjoyable bastardisation of the Bard, but Berkoff it ain’t.
It has to be said that Dude!… is far from perfection, as some of the prat falling is painfully forced and the chatter of the chorus often swamps the leads, but this is excusable given that the cast is so young. This said, a small number of the cast give stellar performances, most notably Laura Merchut, as the wonderfully innocent, comically gifted ”real” Juliet, and Sheila O’Connor, as the deliciously self-centred luvvy Juliet, and it’s their presence that puts a shine on this ram bumptious show. Also worth of note is Jamie Denton, as his clowning ability far outstrips his colleagues, and Amanda Lipinski and her puppets, who add another lovely dimension to the ensemble.
A lot of people will simply hate this production but if you go in expecting loud, colourful youth theatre you can expect to have a good time. Dude!… is undoubtedly flawed and only for a certain audience but to this audience it proved to be a blast of sunshine on one of the most miserable days in Fringe history.
3/5
Richard Biggs
