Balcony Is Perfect Fit For Adelaide’s Star-Crossed Lovers

Balcony Is Perfect Fit For Adelaide’s Star-Crossed Lovers

The University of Adelaide Theatre Guild’s critically acclaimed and award-winning 2013 production of Richard lll demonstrated Megan Dansie’s innovative approach to directing Shakespeare.

However, Dansie’s love of the Bard’s works meant she wasn’t going to rest on her laurels. What’s more, there was something about Adelaide University’s Little Theatre that made Romeo and Juliet yet another Shakespeare must-do for this Director: the theatre’s above-stage mezzanine was perfect for the balcony scene.

It seems the University of Adelaide Theatre Guild needed little persuasion to include the tragic love storyin its 2014 season. The company will stage the play from May 3-May 17, with Megan Dansie as director.

Well-known for its support of talented young people from its own campus, the Guild was keen to involve students in the production, in addition to many seasoned actors.

Akkshey Caplash and Abby Hampton are cast as Romeo and Juliet. The other cast members include Alex Antoniou, Andre Bennett, Anita Canala, Nicholas Clippingdale, Ronald Densley, Paul Duldig, Lindsay Dunn, Gary George, Ned Goult, Olivia Kashti, Brad Martin, Steve Marvanek, Molly McCormack, Jonathan Pleasant, Paul Rodda, Cate Rogers, Bridget Rossiter, David Sandison, Angela Short and Andrew Spencer.

“I am thrilled to have a cast with many of the actors at or only a little older than the characters they play,” says Megan Dansie. “I am also excited about how those actors new to Shakespeare have risen to the challenge. We have had enormous fun analysing the play line by line in rehearsals – with the process including paraphrasing into modern language. This proved so funny that we contemplated a Fringe performance paraphrasing famous scenes form Shakespeare.” Now there’s a thought!

Romeo and Juliet is one of the Bard’s earliest plays and everyone knows the story: the tale of sweet young lovers whose deaths reconcile feuding families. Thought to have been written between 1591 and 1595, it is probably one of the most frequently performed of Shakespeare’s works. Through the centuries there have been countless stage adaptations of the original text and modern versions for film have been produced.

In a time when there is a trend towards staging Shakespeare’s plays in contemporary settings, the Guild’s production of Romeo and Juliet blends old and new.

“I have aimed for an authentic feeling in the production design, but with some modern twists,” says Megan Dansie. “On analysing the text, I realised that the play could be well served by setting it in Renaissance times – late 15th Century Italy. This choice means that Juliet can remain ‘not yet fourteen’, and many fights can be with swords.”

Dansie points out that despite the 15th Century setting, the themes are still very relevant today, including family hostilities, love vs. lust and violence among young men.

“The central story of young people transformed by their first love is, of course, timeless,” she says. “I wanted to avoid the simplistic gang warfare view of the families – in this production we see them as commercial rivals. The text has also been cut respectfully to remove extraneous characters and to keep the story moving.”

Dansie has a strong interest in historical costume reproduction, even dryly commenting that some of her cloaks have spent more time on stage recently than she has! The play’s costumes include handmade real silk and linen gowns as well as outfits made especially for this Adelaide production. Luckily, there has been plenty of help from friends and other resources to costume the play. The play’s costume designer, Sharon Malujlo, whose everyday work is also in costuming, is one keen helper currently busy sewing doublets.

Authentic sword fights are an important part of the action in Romeo and Juliet, and Megan Dansie has left nothing to chance in creating realism. Some of Adelaide’s best live steel sword fighters have coached the actors in fencing and have choreographed the five fights that take place during the course of the play.

After the critical success of last year’s award-winning production of Richard lll there is much anticipation of the University of Adelaide Theatre Guild’s next venture into Shakespeare. Tickets for Romeo and Juliet are likely to sell out quickly; surely, none but fools would leave it to the last minute to book.

Lesley Reed

ROMEO AND JULIET

University of Adelaide Theatre Guild

Dates: Saturday May 3, 7.30 pm, opening night; Tues- Sat, May 6-10 and 13-17, 7.30 pm.

Venue: Little Theatre, The Cloisters, University of Adelaide.

Tickets: $28 Full price; $23 Concession (students, pensioners, unemployed, MEAA, Friends of the Barr Smith Library, Fringe Benefits).

Bookings: www.adelaide.edu/theatreguild or BASS 131 246 or www.bass.net.au

Group bookings 10+ at concession rate from 8313 5999 only.

School group discounts also from 8313 5999 only.

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