Tom Holland is swarmed by crowds of adoring fans as he leaves the theatre following a performance of Romeo & Juliet on the West End
Tom Holland was swarmed by fans as he left the theatre after a performance of Romeo & Juliet in London on Saturday night.
The Spider-Man actor, 28, plays Romeo in director Jamie Lloyd's take on the hit Shakespeare tragedy.
His Juliet in the sold-out show is played by newcomer Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who was educated at the University Of Oxford.
At the Duke Of York's Theatre's stage door, Tom wore an open, short-sleeved light green shirt with a slightly darker T-shirt underneath.
He matched this with loose-fitting warm grey trousers, a cross-body satchel, and some white and grey trainers.
Tom Holland, 28, soaked up his fans' adulation on Saturday night as he left another sold-out showing of Jamie Lloyd's Romeo & Juliet at the Duke Of York's Theatre
The Spider-Man actor plays Romeo in director Jamie Lloyd's take on the hit Shakespeare tragedy and his Juliet is newcomer Francesca Amewudah-Rivers
At the stage door, Tom wore an open short-sleeved light green shirt with a slightly darker T-shirt underneath
Tom beamed, placed a hand over his heart, and waved to fans who strained for a glimpse of him and recorded him on their phones.
Towards the end of June, Tom was seen enjoying some downtime in Richmond Park as he took his dog for a walk.
The star has been back and forth between his London home and the US since childhood, at first just for work, and now for work and his girlfriend Zendaya.
Emmy Award-winner Zendaya, 27, who stars with Tom in Spider-Man, has been to see several of the Romeo & Juliet showings.
She was last seen at one in mid-June and patiently and contentedly waited in the car for Tom to finish addressing his fans.
And recent reports emerged that officials have had to step in due to the countless people regularly waiting outside for the Marvel superstar.
According to The Sun, the Hollywood darling has been more than co-operative when it comes to the new rules of making a swift exit.
A source said: 'Tom is a pro and was more than happy to oblige.'
Officials have put the new rules in solely in the interest of 'public safety' and reassured theatregoers that they are always there to provide 'additional support' should it be needed.
A Westminster Council spokesman said: 'We welcome visitors to the West End and it is fantastic to see how popular theatres are.
Tom beamed, placed a hand over his heart, and waved to fans who strained for a glimpse of him and recorded him on their phones
'However, maintaining pavements and public spaces is important to ensuring public safety.
'Managing crowds and access is the responsibility of each theatre. Where there are issues, we can work with venues and the police to provide additional support.'
It is understood that Tom won't be stopping to chat and sign autographs, as is typical in theatre land, but he will happily pose for snaps while on his way out.
Though he began his career in the West End, starring as the titular role in Billy Elliot The Musical, Romeo & Juliet is the first time Tom has returned to the stage.
Jamie Lloyd's Romeo & Juliet began on May 13 and will end on August 3. Tickets have been completely sold out for months
DAILY MAIL'S PATRICK MARMION REVIEWS ROMEO AND JULIET
Spider-Man Tom Holland was never going to have much difficulty scaling the walls of the Capulets¿ villa in Verona to reach Juliet¿s balcony in Shakespeare¿s love story.
But in the event, Jamie Lloyd¿s daringly dirgeful production, which opened in the West End last night, only requires him to reach the giddy heights of a microphone stand.
Yes, this new production of Romeo & Juliet is a typical example of Lloyd celebrity minimalism ¿ following in the footsteps of James McAvoy in Cyrano and Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard.
As usual, that means a run on mics in the capital for a production that is whispered ¿ and sometimes merely breathed ¿ into the amplification system.
As usual, that means a run on mics in the capital for a production that is whispered ¿ and sometimes merely breathed ¿ into the amplification system
Gone is the sunshine of fair Verona, where Shakespeare lays his scene.
Instead, we get the Stygian darkness of Soutra Gilmour¿s stage design ¿ empty but for lighting rigs and a giant cinematic billboard relaying close-ups of the action as cameramen track actors on stage, and around the building itself (Romeo¿s banishment to Mantua takes him up on to the roof).
The play is famously preoccupied with death and Lloyd makes the most of that, with a cast dressed in black jeans, T-shirts and hoodies. It¿s monotone, monochrome and mannered. If you took the production¿s pulse, you might be tempted to call a priest.
Sometimes, it even feels as if Lloyd is deliberately trying to throttle the life out of the febrile passion that normally drives this headlong love story. And yet, cometh the hour, cometh the (Spider) man... all 5ft 8ins of him.
Damn, he¿s a buff and good-looking bloke. His commanding cheekbones and curving jaw suck the breath from the audience and keep us wrapped in his dreamy gaze.
Instead, we get the Stygian darkness of Soutra Gilmour¿s stage design ¿ empty but for lighting rigs and a giant cinematic billboard relaying close-ups of the action as cameramen track actors on stage, and around the building itself (Romeo¿s banishment to Mantua takes him up on to the roof)
It¿s monotone, monochrome and mannered. If you took the production¿s pulse, you might be tempted to call a priest
Sometimes, it even feels as if Lloyd is deliberately trying to throttle the life out of the febrile passion that normally drives this headlong love story. Pictured: Daniel Quinn-Toye stars as Paris
Nima Taleghani (pictured) stars as Benvolio
I missed the colour of the masked ball where Romeo and Juliet meet, and the drama of the sword fight when Romeo calamitously kills Juliet¿s cousin Tybalt
After meeting Juliet he does a jig like a footballer celebrating a goal, but otherwise moves with the precision of a cat. And although it¿s stillness he does best, the shy smiles he scatters on his beloved are ¿ in Hollywood terms ¿ worth a million dollars. In the circumstances, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers holds up well as Juliet.
Lloyd discourages her from showing too much personality or independent spirit (as he does everyone), yet she has a quiet maturity that sits easily with the poetry.
Likewise, Michael Balogun as Friar Lawrence imposes gravitas and good sense on the not so rash young lovers. The one surprise is Freema Agyeman as Juliet¿s youthful Nurse.
Normally ample, ageing and garrulous, Nurse is here a 30-something party girl with attitude. Much of her wittering in the Bard¿s original is cut, and instead she gets lines from Juliet¿s mother, who is controversially ditched altogether.
I missed the colour of the masked ball where Romeo and Juliet meet, and the drama of the sword fight when Romeo calamitously kills Juliet¿s cousin Tybalt.
But we may not get a chance to see Holland live on stage again if Hollywood has its way ¿ so happy are they who have a ticket already for this curious but nearly sold-out requiem. And even happier they who can afford £275 a pop
Pictured: Tom Holland as Romeo
Freema Agyeman (pictured) stars as nurse
