PREVIEW

Tom Holland has been on the receiving end of unfavourable reviews following his debut in Romeo & Juliet on the West End stage. The Spider-Man star, 27, began his run as a star-crossed lover at the Duke of York's Theatre in London last week. But while the Hollywood star's involvement in the West End play has secured a sold-out run, critics have been far from kind over his performance in the title role. The BBC have been brutally critical in their review of the Shakespearean classic, writing, "It's a depressingly lifeless affair, which somehow manages to be both overstated and underpowered.” And taking aim at Tom specifically, they added: ”(Tom) has definite stage presence, but a habit of acting out one mood at a time, rather than making his Romeo convincingly psychologically rounded, and towards the end he is reduced to snarling disaffection, Romeo's emotional tenderness all but forgotten.” And industry bible The Hollywood Reporter panned his acting, writing: ”For the most part, Holland's Romeo is a subdued, teary, vulnerable, underwhelming fellow; it's hard to see why Juliet would go to such lengths for him. While Holland does get to show his puppy-like sweetness and buffed Spiderman physique, he surely has a better Romeo in him than this one.” Meanwhile, co-star Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who suffered racial abuse following news of her casting as Juliet, has been praised as the star attraction. The BBC said of the 26-year-old. ”Relative newcomer Amewudah-Rivers, by contrast, transcends her glum surroundings and is the real saving grace: she has a conversational command of the verse common to the best Shakespearean actors.” THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT