Germany, 1933.
Hitler's rise to power has begun and the seeds of hate begin to sprout as two star-crossed lovers join across the chasm between racism and love.
In defiance of their entire society and in secrecy from their closest friends, hopeful young lives burn amidst a cataclysmic backdrop of impending war. Sun and moon shine down on star-crossed lovers as a Jewish girl falls for a member of Nazi Youth and the boy questions everything he was taught to believe.
They hide their passion and sexuality from their warring families and their closest friends. Misadventure, family pride, and anti-semetism abort and bury the most joyous of beginnings, the most hopeful of love stories as Romeo and Juliet, driven apart, find their world becoming a constricting, single mausoleum of fate and death.
Swordfighting drawn from the 1930s, German, underground fight clubs.
All in the original verse.
Running time: approx 2 hours 30 minutes, including interval.
Following on from the success of Hamlet and Macbeth, the highly acclaimed Icarus Theatre Collective presents a bold and exciting new production of Shakespeare’s most tragic tale – Romeo & Juliet.
In defiance of their entire society and in secrecy from their closest friends, hopeful young lives burn amidst a cataclysmic backdrop of impending war. Sun and moon shine down on star-crossed lovers as a Jewish girl falls for a member of Nazi Youth and the boy questions everything he was taught to believe.
They hide their passion and sexuality from their warring families and their closest friends. Misadventure, family pride, and anti-semetism abort and bury the most joyous of beginnings, the most hopeful of love stories as Romeo and Juliet, driven apart, find their world becoming a constricting, single mausoleum of fate and death.
Running time: approx 2 hours 30 minutes, including interval.
Romeo:
Juliet:
Benvolio:
Mercutio:
Tybalt:
Nurse:
Lady Capulet:
Lord Capulet:
Director: Max Lewendel
Fight Director: Ronin Traynor
Movement Director: TBC
Vocal Coach: TBC
Production Manager: TBC
Designers: TBC
"Does this energetic young mid-scale cooperative, which takes risks in exploring ‘the harsh, brutal side of classical and modern drama’, embraces the ‘post modern, surreal and theatre of the absurd’ and sets out to explore the visceral, unspeakable, kinetic and dynamic, have the raw acting talent to go with it?
The answer is an unequivocal ‘Yes’. "
-Behind the Arras, Roderic Dunnett
"The polish of talent untarnished and shining like new silver. I hadn’t realised how much sex Shakespeare had hidden in this love story, but Lewendel has found every reference, plus a few extra inventions of his own. The fight scenes between Mercutio and Tybalt are extraordinary."
-British Theatre Guide, Helen Brown
"The fateful clash between Romeo and Tybalt is particularly impressive and bloody, drawing gasps of shock.
Gemma Barrett’s Nurse proves a hit with the audience."
-The Good Reviews, Kieran James
