A skilful juxtaposition of scenes is a feature of the Kabosh production of R and J at the Granary Fringe Festival. The stylistic derivation of this rendering of Romeo and Juliet is unapologetically movie-based; all five players are male, and the laddish energy characterising the approach, assisted by a white cylindrical set and white costumes splashed with crimson (Gary McCann and Janet Bird) shouts "young" and "new" and "accessible" in a tone which suggests some uncertainty on the part of director Karl Wallace.

The danger of confusion is rife, and is not avoided, with the small cast playing everybody Shakespeare listed in his dramatis personae. A good Mercutio surfaces, a likely enough Romeo, an excellent Nurse and Friar (both played by Sean Kearns). But the good Mercutio (Alan Devine) is not so convincing in most of his other seven roles, and who could possibly blame him?

The casualty of this approach to a Shakespearean play, with all its jumping, intercutting, merging and swerving, is what happens to the text. In this case the verse, the phrases, the words are flattened to vanishing point. This is conceit; there can be no excuse for a production which abandons so much substance for the sake of a not very original style.

Last Cork performance tonight. To book: 021-904275

Runs November 1st-6th, Belfast Festival at Queen's