Romeo and Juliet Reviews: The Good, The Bad, and The Meh

Tom Holland and Co Receive Very Mixed Reviews!

With Romeo and Juliet opening in London's West End this May, the critic's reviews have been pouring in. From Tom Holland's acting style to Jamie Lloyd's unique production - read below to find out what the critics thought.

THE GOOD

The Telegraph - Holland as Romeo "ravishes" and "mesmerizes", in this glowing five-star review.

TimeOut - with a four-star review, Holland "certainly doesn't disgrace himself", and Jamie Lloyd's stage production was "brilliantly unsettling".

THE BAD

The Daily Express - Tom Holland was described as a charisma-free zone' in this damning one-star review.

THE MEH

The Guardian - Arifa Akbar gave Romeo and Juliet three stars out of five and stated the "chemistry is most definitely there" between the two leads and they were "perfectly cast, wired with an awkwardly cool teen energy, she a mix of innocence and streetwise steel, he jittering with sweaty-palmed earnestness". However, "the deliberate underplaying of emotion ultimately leeches the play of its tragedy".

Variety - David Benedict, stated Holland was "plausible as lovestruck Romeo growing increasingly stressed and distressed, but he emotes rather than elicits emotions".

Deadline - Baz Bamigboye was lukewarm about the show and Holland himself, but his friend's 13-year-old daughter adored all of it'.

The Times - Clive Davis gave the show three out of five stars, stating "In the opening scenes he really does convince you that he is an adolescent adrift, waiting to abandon himself to a doomed romance", but the show slowly retreated into something formulaic.

BBC Culture - Hugh Montgomery gave the show two-stars, and wrote the "unprecedented scenes outside the Duke of York's Theatre, where hundreds of fans teem behind railings, waiting for a glimpse of Holland as he travels from stage door to his car, waving like royalty", but felt like the show itself could not match the energy of the fans outside.

Independent - Tim Bano described Holland's performance as flat', and that the ending was a bit of a letdown'.

Read our review of Romeo and Juliet at the Duke of York Theatre here.