Picture this: You’re in the Barbara Hardy Garden at Holden Street Theatres, a warm breeze drifts by, and you’re about to witness a Shakespearean classic…or are you? Enter Romeo and Juliet in 15 Minutes, where the timeless love story is amusingly condensed into a madcap, laugh-out-loud adventure.

In just 15 minutes (yes, 15!), the talented cast breezes through the iconic tale with all the wit and energy you can imagine. Gone are the tragic soliloquies. What’s left is comedic gold.

Devised, directed and narrated by the incomparable Peter Goers, the parody is similar to cramming every dramatic moment into a high-speed chase to finish on time while retaining the narrative. There were rapid scene cuts, costume changes, singing, dancing and fighting (choreographed by Annie Gaborit) and hi-jinks galore.

The energy is upbeat, with the cast delivering their lines with commitment and enthusiasm. It is difficult not to be swept up in the silliness.

Christopher Cordeaux and Ruby Patrich are delightful in the title roles. Their respective parents, Lord and Lady Montague and Lord and Lady Capulet, are superbly portrayed by Brian Wellington and Deborah Caddy. Yes, as both sets of matriarchs and patriarchs!

Then there is Rob Cusenza as Juliet’s Nurse, who brought the campy pantomime house down boots, and David O’Brien as the unpriestly Friar Laurence. Together with Leighton Vogt and Archie Rowe, they bring charm and wit to an un-Shakespearean Shakespearean play.

So, if you’re looking for a fun, cheap and cheeky way to experience the Bard, Romeo and Juliet in 15 Minutes is a must-see. It’s Shakespeare re-imagined—without the tears but full of absurdity and laughter.