From the packed theater hall to classrooms full of eager students, many watched the Royal Shakespeare company’s production of Romeo and Juliet with appreciation. There was a massive audience as it was broadcasted and available to watch from their website, on Wednesday 21 November 2018. The audience were able to submit questions via Twitter and had the chance of being answered by the host, backstage or members of the cast.
The play was directed by Erica Whyman and had cast from all over the United Kingdom, this resulted in an epic blend of mixed ages, races and accents making the play even more appealing. The director adapted the play in many ways but still kept the authenticity of the storyline everyone knows all so well. ‘It was really useful watching the performance as it gave me a deeper understanding of the play,’ said Lucy from Newstead wood school.The set was quite abstract contrary to other productions of Romeo and Juliet and was based solely around a box structure on the centre of the stage. They were able to execute scenes well with the varied uses of lighting, music,levels and simple props. The uncluttered stage allowed viewers to focus on the actors and what they were trying to convey. Costumes had an interpretive simplicity, with majority of the cast’s clothes being modern. Some of the cast even wore trending trainers such as Adidas and Nike.
Another adaptation in the play included the roles of Mercutio and Prince Escalus (Prince of Verona), who were both played by women instead of men. This made for an intriguing twist as both actors were fully immersed in their roles- leaving no doubt or confusion with who they were. Mercutio a vivacious, animated party-goer and the more politically inclined Prince of Verona.
There was an almost electric buzz around the production as students from primary schools to colleges across the United Kingdom submitted questions and photos on Twitter throughout the production. At the end of the performance, the two actors who had played Romeo and Juliet (Bally Gill and Karen Fishwick) sat and offered answers to questions students had asked about the play or their specific character.
