Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare directed by Craig Williams Class Act Theatre (Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Loot) presents the Bard’s timeless love story. “Here’s much to do with Hate … but more with Love” “Even if you know nothing else of Shakespeare, even if you’ve never seen or read a play and couldn’t list any other character by name, you could probably retell the basic theme of Romeo & Juliet. Two lovers meet. Knowing their parents will disapprove, they conduct an affair in secret. This causes complications and, neither wanting to live without the other, they each take their own life. No one, therefore, comes to see ‘R&J’ to learn how it ends! They come to see how the actors and director decide to take the journey. There have been interpretations based on racism, religious conflict, political wars, or social status…(often all at once!) The musicals ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Highschool Musical’, and the novel ‘New Moon’ (from the Twilight series) are examples of popular stories that draw heavily on the plot and themes of Romeo & Juliet. And so right from the start I’ve been asked “So where will this version be set? At an Australian detention centre? At a private school versus a government school? In the ‘70s? In outer space…?” My intention from the outset has been to avoid notions of specific time and place. To me the story is timeless, and I don’t believe you need to ‘set it somewhere’ to make it interesting or relevant. What does become interesting is being limited to a small cast and budget. Having only 8 actors to portray about 20 characters has largely defined the style of this production: emphasising creative use of the performers to form images that tell a clear story. Shakespeare can be enthralling, but can too often get muddied in a clutter of ideas. My intention has been to strip it back to its essential element: the power of the actor, alone onstage, with simply the skill of their craft and a good story.” Craig Williams, Director. Starring: Ian Toyne, Angelique Malcolm, Shirley Van Sanden, Matt Longman, Daniel Garrett, Nathan Hitchins, Josh Walker and Cassandra Vagliviello. Performance Dates: One Week Only: August 24 to 28 at 7.30pm (Tues-Sat) Matinees: Wed 25, Thu 26 & Fri 27 August at 10am Venue: Subiaco Arts Centre, 180 Hamersley Rd, Subiaco Tickets: $14.90 to $33.00 Bookings: BOCS: 9484 1133 We'll also be in Busselton and Dunsborough the week after!