Belgrade theatre, Coventry
There are ideas aplenty in this high-concept musical retelling of Shakespeare, but it gets off to a bumpy start

This telling of the age-old tragedy begins with modern-day fractiousness, as screens display images of Nigel Farage and Priti Patel. Divisions are evidently rife in this close-to-home version of Verona, but it is harder to distinguish how political schism applies to the two warring houses of Capulet and Montague – and the lovers caught in the crossfire.

Working in collaboration with local company That’s a Rap and a young cast, director Corey Campbell augments this production’s modern vision with song – mostly rap but also soul and R&B – alongside Shakespeare’s text. The iambic pentameter is in place but so are beats, spoken word and musical breakouts.