Savoy Theatre, Cork

THE promenade style chosen for Activate's production of After Juliet by Sharman MacDonald distracts from an intelligent and provocative play rendered in mature tones by young actors at the Savoy. It is perhaps unfair to the playwright to dwell on the playing space, but this dingy nightclub, carved from the old magnificence of a once grand cinema, presents acoustic problems, only emphasised by the distances between different stage areas and screens. Its size makes details of the set irrelevant.

Yet the space and the movement indicate the restlessness which gives the context to this exploration of the aftermath of the deaths of Romeo and Juliet: the internal family accusations on either side, the re-ignition of gang-like street warfare, the demolition of retrieved love, the lust for retribution. These reverberations include the trial of the accessories to the deaths - the friar, the nurse, even the apothecary who sold Romeo the poison. However, it takes a while for these issues to emerge, given the licence taken with the dramatis personae. Also, there is some over-writing but, oddly in such a young cast, no over-acting. Director Geraldine O'Neill has riches at her disposal; although few of the voices can defeat the distance they can certainly deliver the lines and the characters. The play is enriched by the ensemble's shared conviction. The Rosaline of Clara Murphy, the Bianca of Susan Holland, and the performances of John Goodwin, Michael O'Reilly and Paul Spitere are balanced and beautifully measured in tone and weight. All that is needed is a sense of physical focus. That said, the effect when everything finally gathers around a single stage (or scaffold) is compelling. We await two verdicts - one from the ducal court as to the fate of the apothecary, one from the Montagues and Capulets as to the continuation of the feud. Rosaline is all for blood...

After Juliet continues at the Savoy, Cork until tomorrow at 8 p.m. To book phone 021 4397111