LONDON — Pity Peter Parker. Like a fly caught in a web, Tom Holland, the British actor who plays Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is trapped in a woeful West End production of “Romeo & Juliet.” The stripped-down Shakespeare show is a dreary and pretentious slog that’s about as passionate as an economics lecture.
At times, I actually longed for a bit of game theory to spice things up. But because of Holland’s superhero star power, the play is one of London’s hottest tickets. The three-month run almost completely sold out before anybody saw it, and the few seats that remain are going for as much as $440 a pop.
If you want to go gawk at a celebrity, be my guest. But Ambien is cheaper. The blame for the wreckage doesn’t fall on Holland — he’s perfectly fine.
The 28-year-old actor is committed (even if, in his somber intensity, he confuses Romeo for Hamlet) and has a respectable grasp of the classical language. Having played the title role in the musical “Billy Elliot” early on in his career, he’s no stranger to the boards. Importantly, Holland has chemistry with Francesca Amewudah-Rivers — as much as they’re allowed to have anyway — who makes a particularly forthright Juliet.
No, the Green Goblin here is Jamie Lloyd, the director known on Broadway for spare stagings of “ A Doll’s House ” with Jessica Chastain, “ Betrayal ” with Tom Hiddleston, and the incoming (and excellent) musical “ Sunset Boulevard ” starring Nicole Sche.
