Spider-Man Tom Holland faced no great challenge scaling the walls of the Capulets’ Verona villa to reach Juliet’s balcony in Shakespeare’s classic love tale. However, Jamie Lloyd’s bold and somber production, which premiered in the West End last night, merely requires him to reach the elevated heights of a microphone stand.

This rendition of Romeo & Juliet exemplifies Lloyd’s trademark minimalist approach with celebrities – following in the footsteps of James McAvoy in Cyrano and Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard. As usual, this entails a reliance on microphones in the capital for a production that is often whispered, and at times, barely spoken, into the amplification system.

Gone is the radiant sunshine of fair Verona; instead, we are plunged into the Stygian darkness of Soutra Gilmour’s stage design – stark and barren except for lighting apparatuses and a colossal cinematic billboard broadcasting close-ups of the action, as cameramen trail actors both onstage and around the venue itself (Romeo’s banishment to Mantua even takes him onto the roof).

The play’s obsession with mortality is emphasized, with the cast clad in black jeans, T-shirts, and hoodies. It’s a world of monotony, monochrome, and mannerisms. At times, it feels as though Lloyd is intentionally suffocating the vitality out of this usually impassioned love story. Yet, when the moment arrives, so does the (Spider) man… all 5ft 8ins of him.

Holland, undeniably buff and handsome, commands attention with his striking cheekbones and chiseled jaw, captivating the audience with his dreamy gaze. While he exhibits exuberance akin to a footballer celebrating a goal after meeting Juliet, his movements are otherwise precise, akin to a feline. His shy smiles bestowed upon his beloved are worth their weight in gold.

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers admirably holds her own as Juliet, despite Lloyd’s inclination to sᴜppress her personality and independence (a trait mirrored in all the characters), displaying a quiet maturity that complements the poetry.

Similarly, Michael Balogun brings gravitas and wisdom to the role of Friar Lawrence, guiding the impulsive young lovers. The one deviation from tradition is Freema Agyeman’s portrayal of Juliet’s Nurse. Usually portrayed as ample, elderly, and talkative, here she is depicted as a youthful partygoer with sass. Much of her rambling from the original text is trimmed, with lines reassigned from Juliet’s mother, who is controversially omitted altogether.

Though the vibrancy of the masked ball where Romeo and Juliet first encounter each other, and the tension of the fatal swordfight with Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, are missed, witnessing Holland live on stage may be a rarity if Hollywood has its way – making those with tickets to this unusual but nearly sold-out requiem fortunate indeed. And even more so for those able to afford the hefty £275 price tag.