People's Romeo
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| People's Romeo | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Mukul Ahmed |
| Date premiered | 6 October 2010 |
| Original language | English, Bengali |
| Genre | Drama |
People's Romeo is a play by British playwright Mukul Ahmed based on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
- Delwar Hossain Dilu as Romeo / Narrator
- Caitlin Thorburn as Juliet / Friar Laurence / Tybalt
- Leesa Gazi as Juliet's Nurse / Lady Montague
- Swagata Biswas as percussionist
- Sohini Alam as singer
Themes
Production
The People's Romeo was developed across a two-year period by Wandsworth-based theatre company Tara Arts.[1] The production's name – People's Romeo – reflects the sub-continent's traditions of People's Theatre, where performers tour with a minimum of props and a small cast.[3]
The cast of three actors; Delwar Hossain Dilu, Caitlin Thorburn and Leesa Gazi play multiple roles,[3] transitioning from one character,[2] although the story has been pared down.[3] Characters such as Mercutio and Count Paris have been left out all together.[3] Several important parts have been left out, notably, the reason for Romeo not knowing that Juliet has faked her death was omitted.[2] The company of five also includes[2] singer Sohini Alam joining in traditional and modern Bengali folk songs,[3] and percussionist Swagata Biswas provides us with a live musical score.[4] The set was designed by Sophie Jump's and the lighting designed by Howard Hudson.[4][5]
Tour
The People's Romeo opened at Greenwich Theatre in September 2010, as part of a UK tour.[1] Prior to a UK tour, it played five performances at TARA Studio ahead of visits to Greenwich, Plymouth, Wolverhampton, Crawley, London's Asia House and Waterman's Hull, Darlington and Birmingham.[6] The show was also staged at Hull Truck Theatre as part of Black History Month.[3]