Raw, brutally honest, and heartfelt, Romeo & Julie is a story of love, sacrifice and heartache.

Romeo & Julie follows two young lovers who meet at the crossroads of their lives. Both working-class teenagers – neighbours, it turns out – but Julie (Estelle Davis) is focused on acing her A-levels and getting into Cambridge to pursue her dreams of becoming a physicist. Romy (Alex Kirwan), meanwhile, is a single dad grabbing naps where he can and struggling to the point of reusing the least dirty nappies because he can’t afford to buy more. Despite their differences, they fall in love.

Written by Gary Owen, Romeo & Julie is set in Splott, Cardiff — once home to the playwright and now one of the most deprived areas in Wales. Splott is also the setting of his acclaimed play Iphigenia In Splott. As with Iphigenia, the story remains engaging throughout, prompting groans, laughter and audible gasps from the audience.

Directed by Claudia Barrie, who also takes on the role of Romy’s alcoholic mother Barb, the production features Linda Nicholls-Gidley as Julie’s mother and Christopher Stollery as Julie’s father. Nicholls-Gidley also serves as the dialogue coach, expertly guiding the cast through convincing Welsh accents.

Performances are passionate throughout, with audience members tearing up on more than one occasion. From heartfelt mother-daughter conversations to big loving hugs, Romeo & Julie carries a strong emotional core. Then there’s Romy – sweet, kind-hearted and only eighteen – declaring he has chosen to prioritise his daughter above all else: “I’m hers until she doesn’t need me anymore.” Meanwhile, Julie knows almost nothing about babies but is determined to make it work – to support Romy, raise a child and continue her studies – blindly insisting that: “parenthood shouldn’t hold women back.”

There’s a lot of talk about shitty nappies and Owen’s script is filled with double entendres that cause the audience to chuckle, yet he paints a world where exhaustion and hardship are facts of life.

The tale is inspired by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet though the connection is loose and really only in their names. The families are not at war, although Julie’s parents are understandably distressed that their brainy daughter has been pushing her studies aside after falling in love with a boy who can barely read. The true tragedy here is life – particularly working-class life – “Because life fucking ambushes you,” says Romy. Where a father coughs daily from the polluted air he breathes while working in the mines, desperate to earn a little more to support his daughter’s dreams. A nurse who gives so much care to others – there is little left for her husband, daughter, or herself.

Geita Goarin’s stark, minimal set, little more than a white moses basket and some pillows, reflects the harsh reality of life in Splott. Josh Anderson deepens the mood with a soundscape drawn from Portishead. Baby Neve looks disturbingly real, prompting audience members to coo at the bundled infant. Dr. Emily Brayshaw’s costume choices for Barb –  from a purple velvet-style jumpsuit with black boots to a pleather miniskirt and leopard-print top –  vividly capture the character.

Life is about timing and choices. Every decision leads you down a different path, and sometimes that path is through hardship and ruin. Owen does not shy away from painting a bleak and painful portrait of working-class reality, but he threads glimmers of love and hope into characters who care deeply for one another, even to the detriment of themselves. Romeo & Julie is a poignant reminder that true love isn’t always romantic – and sometimes, in giving, we find more.

4 stars

Presented by Mad March Theatre Company Romeo & Julie is playing at KXT Broadway, Sydney until 23 May 2026.

Run time: each performance is 2 hours (plus interval)

For tickets visit KXT on Broadway

Looking for a pre- or post-show bite? Gavroche Brasserie is located close by. For more suggestions, check out Bites & Sips.

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