Shakespeare’s early play about a 13-year-old girl discovering a passionate and sexual attraction to a young boy not much older is less a story of love than an exposition of horrific power and its inability to harness the human regenerative emotions of the young.

Kelly Paterniti’s portrayal of Juliet was iconic in harnessing internal volcanic-like emotions pitted against the social and familial realities of all she knew and previously loved. Her quick changes of mind and rationalisations of her dilemmas were performed with simple clarity and great empathy in her articulation of the text.

Evans’ production supported every aspect of Juliet’s story by shaping the patriarchal world with its brutal honour systems and spectacular sword fighting. This was done without losing the subtleties of masculine dreams and desires. Alex Williams’ Romeo and Tom Stokes’ Tybalt were in their own ways likable enough figures whose lives were also shaped within a context of powerful binds that trapped them into tragedy. The use of subtle music and lighting heightened this focus on personal dilemmas within the larger social and cultural milieu.

The ultimate and inevitable deaths leave us wondering if there really can be any such thing as a free will!