Tom Holland’s performance as Romeo in the stage production has received mixed reviews. While critics have not been overly enthusiastic, audiences seem to be impressed, with reviews describing his performance as “good,” “fine,” and “perfectly OK.”
Reviews describe the Spider-Man star’s performance on stage as “good”, “fine” and “perfectly OK”.
The excitement outside the London theatre where Spider-Man star Tom Holland is appearing in Romeo and Juliet is unparalleled, but the critics inside are not as enthusiastic.
The Telegraph’s glowing five-star review praised Holland, stating he “ravishes” and “mesmerises” as Romeo. In stark contrast, the Daily Express gave it a one-star rating, calling it “absolute drivel” and labeling Holland as “a charisma free zone.”
Time Out commented that the actor “certainly doesn’t disgrace himself,” while the Guardian deemed it “a good performance.” Other critics echoed similar sentiments, describing Holland’s Romeo as “fine,” “perfectly OK,” and “perfectly plausible.”
However, critics were generally more impressed with Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet. Andrzej Lukowski from Time Out described her as “great,” noting that “she has a lightness that contrasts with Holland’s dour angst.” Time Out awarded the play four stars, praising director Jamie Lloyd’s minimalist production as “brilliantly unsettling” and likening it to “a particularly stylish radio play.”
The Times critiqued the production as feeling like “a conscientious but colourless radio drama.” Awarding it three stars, critic Clive Davis noted that Tom Holland was “quiet, fresh-faced and sensitive.” Davis wrote, “In the opening scenes, he truly convinces as an adolescent adrift, poised to immerse himself in a doomed romance.” However, he added that Lloyd’s production “sometimes felt too formulaic” and left the audience “more perplexed than gripped.”
The Guardian’s Arifa Akbar also gave the play three stars, praising the lead actors as “perfectly cast, exuding an awkwardly cool teen energy—she a mix of innocence and streetwise steel, he jittering with sweaty-palmed earnestness.” Akbar noted, “The chemistry is definitely there, even if it feels deliberately restrained in Jamie Lloyd’s turbo-stylised production.” While there is “much to admire,” she concluded that “the deliberate underplaying of emotion ultimately drains the play of its tragedy.”
Variety’s David Benedict was not impressed with a production he described as “fiercely stripped-down,” lacking the exuberance of love and youth. He criticized the drama and most characters for being hindered by a slow pace and pauses that disrupted the rhythm and meaning of the script. However, he noted one exception: Juliet. On the other hand, he felt that Holland lacked her stage presence. While he found Holland’s portrayal of a lovestruck Romeo growing increasingly stressed and distressed believable, he felt that Holland emotes rather than evokes emotions.
The Independent’s Tim Bano was even more critical, stating that Holland’s performance “falls flat.” Bano described a scene where Holland, followed by a backstage camera, appears tearful, morose, and muttering, summarizing him as “a very sad boy in a tight white vest.” Bano noted that the use of on-stage cameras showing footage on a big screen has become a signature of Lloyd’s productions, as has the “industrial chic” aesthetic. However, Bano argued that what was once chic now feels like a “fetish for ventilation ducts.”
He added that the production would have been brilliant if it had ended at the interval but instead suffered from diminishing returns. The ending, according to Bano, was disappointing: the characters die theatrically, removing their earpieces, closing their eyes, and sitting at the front of the stage like bouncers napping after a long shift at a warehouse rave.
BBC Culture’s Hugh Montgomery described the show as having “the status of a global event.” He highlighted the “unprecedented scenes outside the Duke of York’s Theatre, where hundreds of fans gather behind railings, hoping to catch a glimpse of Holland as he travels from stage door to his car, waving like royalty.”
“Unfortunately, the show itself fails to match this energy,” he continued, awarding it two stars. “It is a depressingly lifeless affair, managing to be both overstated and underpowered.”
Montgomery emphasized that the actors are not to blame – Holland is fine, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who plays Juliet, is more than fine, and the supporting cast is solid. “The problem lies squarely with the gimmicky, oppressively dour staging, which consistently works against all of them,” he concluded.
Deadline’s Baz Bamigboye noted the “memorable” crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of Tom Holland and his girlfriend Zendaya. He expressed a lukewarm reaction to the production, describing the British actor as “a perfectly OK Jack-the-lad Romeo,” but mentioned that a friend’s 13-year-old daughter “adored all of it.”
Bamigboye highlighted the production’s appeal to a younger audience, stating, “The thing is, this is the kind of production that will bring in a young audience. A new audience. They don’t want to sit through stuffy, traditional productions of the Bard. Theatre needs young audiences to be excited now so they keep going back. They want the shiny, bright rawness that Lloyd offers.”
Meanwhile, the star power of the London production will face competition from another new version on Broadway, featuring Heartstopper’s Kit Connor and West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler. This show, with music by Taylor Swift’s producer Jack Antonoff, is set to open in September and released its trailer on Thursday.
It seems like fans just can’t get enough of Tom’s performance, with many praising his portrayal of the iconic character. His ability to bring a fresh and youthful energy to the role has really resonated with audiences. However, the critics seem to have mixed feelings about it. Some have applauded his take on the character, while others have been more skeptical. Regardless of the reviews, it’s clear that Tom Holland’s Romeo is making a big splash and sparking a lot of discussion. What do you think? Have you seen the movie? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Read More: Tom Holland to star in Romeo and Juliet in West End
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