Review: Romeo + Juliet, Backyard Cinema, St George’s Hall, Liverpool

As the heavy wooden doors of St George’s Hall creaked open, something more than a film screening was about to unfold. Romeo + Juliet, reimagined by immersive trailblazers Backyard Cinema, transformed Liverpool’s neoclassical landmark into a sacred space of love, loss, and late-90s nostalgia.

Backyard Cinema’s founder, Dominic Davies, is known for curating cinematic experiences that reach beyond the screen—and this production is no exception. Following sell-out runs in London and touring across the UK, the majestic Concert Room in St George’s Hall is a fitting venue. With its soaring ceilings, gilded decor, and intimate theatre seating, the venue elevates the already lavish aesthetic of Baz Luhrmann’s film.

But this is more than cinema. It’s an experience steeped in ritual. The stage is dressed like an altar, with twin neon crucifixes glowing in ever-changing hues, casting a reverent glow across the space. The atmosphere is heightened further by a live choir, whose rousing renditions of Young Hearts Run Free, Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good), and You Gotta Be don’t just accompany the film—they become a kind of spiritual overture.

Narration from Ryan Hurst, in the role of a preacher-like guide, lends Shakespeare’s poetry an emotional urgency. His delivery—by turns thunderous and tender—threads through the evening like a sermon of love and fate.

One of the standout elements is the lighting design, which changes and adapts with the film’s shifting moods. Neon glows are present during party scenes, while softer, more subdued tones wash over the room during moments of heartbreak and tension. These changes aren’t just visual—they pull you further into the story, making it feel like the entire room is breathing with the film. It’s a subtle but powerful part of what makes the experience feel so immersive.

The film is split by an interval, giving the audience a moment to breathe and take it all in. The choir comes back after the break, acting like a modern-day Greek chorus, guiding us back into the story with harmonies that hang in the air. It’s a brilliant touch from Davies, who uses everything—sound, light, space, and performance—to dial up the emotion in Luhrmann’s already dramatic take.

What emerges is not just a nostalgic return to a cult classic, but something deeply felt and wholly immersive. Backyard Cinema succeeds in evoking the timeless heart of Shakespeare’s story while celebrating the maximalist joy of 90s cinema.

At a time when many film screenings blur into one another, Backyard Cinema’s Romeo + Juliet at St George’s Hall stands apart. It is cinema as ceremony, as spectacle, as shared experience. If you’ve ever wanted to feel a film as much as watch it, this is your chance.

Backyard Cinema’s Romeo + Juliet continues in Liverpool until 29 June.

Tickets are available via via backyardcinema.co.uk/romeo-juliet-liverpool.