‘For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.'

While the tragic outcome remains the same, Detour Theatre's latest production Romeo and Juliet, which is on stage until September 17, gives us new faces and talents that are a joy to watch and deserving of an audience.

The cast of ‘Romeo and Juliet' on stage at Detour Theatre until September 17. Photo: Ambient Photography.

Director Devon Williams has assembled a lovely little troupe for the classic Shakespearean tale of star-crossed lovers, with skill and ability mixed right through the cast.

It gets off to a great start with Glen Morris (Friar Lawrence) strolling through the crowd delivering the prologue and introducing us to the world of Verona which opens up over the next two hours.

Along the way we're treated to performances which give the show a strong spine from a number of seasoned Tauranga actors including Maggie Kelly (Nurse), Chris Parnell (Tybalt), Tamanna Khurana (Princess), Ryan Wood (Benvolio), and David and Penny Guy (Lord and Lady Capulet).

While I found watching David Holt's performance fascinating, seeing him evolve from naïve young man in love with ‘love', to a reawakened soul that discovers how deep true love runs and the lengths you'll go, both sublime and tragic, just to embrace it.

For me, the new faces to Detour steal the show. Katikati College student Ethan Morse (Mercutio, Sampson, Guard) deserves special mention, I loved his portrayal of Mercuito and even more so after learning he only picked up the role less than three weeks ago.

Fellow Katikati student Tyler Clark is also an amazing find. She gives a very considered and kind performance as Juliet, and presented a maturity that belies her young age. It was extremely impressive to watch.

Detour Theatre proudly presents Romeo and Juliet which is on stage until September 17. For more information and tickets visit: www.detour.co.nz

Detour Theatre present ‘Romeo and Juliet', starring David Holt and Tyler Clarke as the titular characters. Photo: Ambient Photography.