People's Romeo
People's Romeo | |
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Written by | Mukul Ahmed |
Date premiered | 6 October 2010 (2010-10-06) |
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.
Cast
- 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
Performed in both English and Bengali[1][2][3] it blends William Shakespeare's words with Bengali poetry[1][2] and the Pala Gaan theatrical tradition[3] of song, music, dance and story-telling is used.[4] The original text, alongside modern English, is also used.[4]
Production
The People's Romeo was developed across a two-year period by Wandsworth-based theatre company Tara Arts.[1][2] 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.[4]
The cast of three actors; Delwar Hossain Dilu, Caitlin Thorburn and Leesa Gazi play multiple roles,[4] transitioning from one character,[3] although the story has been pared down.[4] Characters such as Mercutio and Count Paris have been left out all together.[4] Several important parts have been left out, notably, the reason for Romeo not knowing that Juliet has faked her death was omitted.[3] The company of five also includes[3] singer Sohini Alam joining in traditional and modern Bengali folk songs,[4] and percussionist Swagata Biswas provides us with a live musical score.[5] The set was designed by Sophie Jump's and the lighting designed by Howard Hudson.[5][6]
Tour
The People's Romeo opened at Greenwich Theatre in September 2010, as part of a UK tour.[1][2] 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.[7] The show was also staged at Hull Truck Theatre as part of Black History Month.[4]
Reception
Deborah Klayman of The Public Reviews rated People's Romeo it 3/5 called it "is energetic and entertaining with moments that are exciting, moving, and humorous."[3] Matthew Jenkins of News Hopper said, "Both charming and moving, People's Romeo is a brave attempt to try something genuinely new and makes for a culturally enriching and entertaining two hours."[1][2]
The Stage said, "Director Mukul Ahmed may have taken several liberties with Shakespeare's original but the important elements remain and his cast of five performers, including a percussionist and vocalist create an utterly absorbing piece of theatre.[8] OffWestEnd.com said, "The People's Romeo is a dynamic cross-cultural performance made for our time that uses Pala Gaan, a popular Bengali folk theatre style that combines music, dance and storytelling to re-invent this classic of English theatre.[5]
See also
- Nemesis by Natyaguru Nurul Momen
- Nondito Noroke by Humayun Ahmed
- NityaPurana by Masum Reza
- Che'r Cycle by Mamunur Rashid
- British Bangladeshi
References
- ^ a b c d e Jenkin, Matthew (14 September 2010). "THEATRE REVIEW: People's Romeo at Greenwich Theatre ****". News Hopper. London. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Jenkin, Matthew (14 September 2010). "THEATRE REVIEW: People's Romeo at Greenwich Theatre ****". This Is Local London. London. Retrieved 1 June 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f Klayman, Deborah (11 September 2010). "People's Romeo – TARA Arts (touring)". The Public Reviews. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "A Bengali take on the Bard's Romeo and Juliet". Hull Daily Mail. Hull. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ a b c "The People's Romeo". OffWestEnd. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ Bussell, Karen (October 2010). "The People's Romeo (Plymouth)". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ "'People's Romeo' in English and Bengali". Asian Image. 19 August 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ Vale, Paul (13 September 2010). "People's Romeo". The Stage. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- v
- t
- e
- The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet
- Pyramus and Thisbe
- Palace of Pleasure
- Troilus and Criseyde
- Ephesiaca
- Romeo and Juliet (1938, Prokofiev)
- Romeo and Juliet (1962, Cranko)
- Romeo and Juliet (1965, MacMillan)
- Romeo and Juliet (1977, Nureyev)
- Romeo and Juliet (1965, Lavery)
- Radio and Juliet (2005)
- Romeo + Juliet (2007, Martins)
- Romeo and Juliet (2008, Pastor)
- Romeo und Julie (1776, Benda)
- Giulietta e Romeo (1796, Zingarelli)
- Giulietta e Romeo (1825, Vaccai)
- I Capuleti e i Montecchi (1830, Bellini)
- Gloria (1874, Cilea)
- Roméo et Juliette (1867, Gounod)
- A Village Romeo and Juliet (1907, Delius)
- Romeo und Julia (1940, Sutermeister)
- Romeo und Julia (1943, Blacher)
- The Belle of Mayfair (1906)
- West Side Story (1957)
- Once on This Island (1990)
- Roméo et Juliette, de la Haine à l'Amour (2001)
- Giulietta e Romeo (2007)
- & Juliet (2019)
- Beethoven's String Quartet No. 1 (c. 1800)
- Roméo et Juliette (1839, Berlioz)
- Romeo and Juliet (1870, Tchaikovsky)
Films | |
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TV series |
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- Romanoff and Juliet (1956)
- People's Romeo (2010)
- Romeo and Juliet (2013)
- "Montagues and Capulets" (1935)
- "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" (1968)
- "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (1976)
- "Angelo" (1978)
- "Romeo and Juliet" (1978)
- "Romeo and Juliet" (1981)
- "Cherish" (1989)
- "Amor Prohibido" (1994)
- "Kissing You" (1996)
- "Starcrossed" (2004)
- "Peut-être toi" (2006)
- "Mademoiselle Juliette" (2007)
- "Love Story" (2008)
- "Love Me Again" (2013)
- Romeo and Juliet (1968)
- Romeo + Juliet (1996)
- Romeo & Julia (2006)
- Tragic Lovers (2008)
- Star-Crossed (2021)
- Rosaline (2022)
- Les Chouans (1829)
- The Wandering Jew (1844)
- The Stolen Dormouse (1941)
- The Faraway Lurs (1963)
- The Destruction of Faena (1989)
- Ronny & Julia (1995)
- Romiette and Julio (2001)
- New Moon (2006)
- Warm Bodies (2010)
- Romeo and Juliet: the Tomb Scene (1790)
- Romeo and Juliet (1978)
a story
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- 1912 film
- 1947 film
- 1980 play
- 2001 film
- 2002 film
- The Picture of Dorian Gray
- 1910 film
- 1913 film
- 1915 film
- 1916 film
- 1917 German film
- 1917 Hungarian film
- 1945 film
- 1976 TV special
- 2009 film
- Harlequinade
- W Juliet
- "Nothing Broken but My Heart"
- Panic Button
- Bare: A Pop Opera
- Bolji život
- The Sky Is Everywhere
- Pay as You Exit
- The White Mercedes
- She Died a Lady
- "Moonshine River"
- Rendez-vous
- Fame
- "I Am Unicorn"
- The Frog Prince
- Molly
- Smart Girls Get What They Want
- Tumbleweeds
- "The Thief of Baghead"
- The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke
- Prince Charming
- Km. 0
- Phileine Says Sorry
- Hamateur Night
- "Say You'll Be Mine"
- Into the Gauntlet
- Wandering Son
- K-On!