GRUMBLING under layers of varnish, having weathered the tread of generations of young performers, the stalwart boards of Prudhoe High School stage could tell their own story.

But instead, alongside a lovingly patched black backdrop, the 61 year old stage provided the perfect counterpoint to this year’s cast; allowing the young stars to shine all the brighter.

Prudhoe Community High School’s musical production of Romeo and Juliet last week was a fitting farewell to the old school stage, which was built in 1955.

In September, pupils and teachers are expected to move to a brand new, all-purpose building on the Moor Road site.

The production, which ran from Wednesday, April 27, to Saturday, April 30, was a musical interpretation of the Shakespeare classic.

The script and lyrics came from English teacher Yvonne Rushmere and the score was penned by performing arts subject leader Karl Boyd, both of whom were directors of the performance.

A chorus, captained by Julia Maughan, bookended each scene, reflecting on the tumultuous scenes recently enacted in fair Verona.

Melting into the backdrop in all-black costumes and singing with clear voices and tight harmonies, the chorus added a professional touch to the production.

The sheer variety of musical genres on offer was astonishing, with power-ballad solos, folk songs and soulful duets all handled with aplomb.

Shakespearian dialogue was deftly blended into song lyrics, an effect which at times added even more pathos to heart-rending soliloquies.

For example the balcony scene, perhaps the most famous and recreated moment, was transformed into a soulful duet This is Love.

Bronwen Davies-Jones gave a mercurial performance as Juliet, transforming before the audience from a cosseted but self assured Capulet to a wild-eyed woman laid low by love.

The quality of her singing voice, however, did not change with her character, remaining true and expressive throughout.

Shay Young gave an impressively sensitive portrayal of Romeo, a character he imbued with equal measures of impetuous swagger and thin-skinned reflection.

Simon Weatherspoon was a comedic force of nature as the strutting peacock Mercutio and his nemesis, Tybalt, was played with great stage presence by Josh Lowes.

A scene-stealer of the production was Megan Curran as the stoic Benvolio, whether giving a pitch-perfect solo or simply reacting to others on stage, she held the audience in the palm of her hand.

Lord and Lady Capulet were Calum Bruce and Charlotte Bell, two teenagers deftly transformed into snobbish, strict parents.

Calum’s flip from foppish, well-meaning father to roaring tyrant in A Father’s Curse was genuinely terrifying to behold.

With excellent comic timing, Emma Richardson was a joy as the bright and blithe nurse and Olivia Garret gave a suitably wide-eyed performance as Sister Laurence.

The sparse, dark stage set contrasted effectively with simple costumes, created by June Boyd, with coloured embroidery the only means of telling Montagues and Capulets apart.

This attention to detail, alongside a deft and confident performance of this Shakespeare classic made Prudhoe Community High School’s unique rendering of Romeo and Juliet a production to remember.