o romeo romeo...

'twas october night of the 24th day when watched we - 3 plays, part of the shakespeare schools festival at the west yorkshire playhouse. midsummer, much ado about nothing and romeo et juliet. am tied between the first and the last for a fave.

the sets were really minimalist (just the way i like it) just hazy projections for indoor and outdoor...the indoor one was a projection of a big latticed window and the light coming in and hitting the floor...and the outdoor one was like hazy leafy effect...but v pale and barely there
much ado just had one flowery archway extra for ppl to hide behind...

it was the best version of midsummer iv seen (and iv seen a total of 3 so far i think...) this was just the most fun, alive, happy, free performance...little kids have that advantage of doing things naturally...it was the little touches that made it hilarious. bottom going to sleep on all fours like a real ass. such cute braying - hee haw in squeaky manner. puck in a jesters hat skipping off stage...like he'd start with a normal walk and as he s almost off, a lil tiny skip in the step..and lil eye rolls as oberon was being oberon :D best oberon too! hehe he was a thin tall glasses wearing (joss whedon geek villain sort, but still studly enuf to pull off carrying the sleeping titania) ..and puck was his little minion. and one o the fairies was a little boy fairy. colourful pjs, bunian (wifebeater), purple tutu...and he got to carry bottom off the stage. too funny. he was way smaller than the other boy :D muscles! ooh!

much ado was hampered by the fact that the cast was older than the other 2 casts...and this gimmicky 80s thing they had going on...they were all covered up by big wigs and 80s suits...and spent more time on acting the moment in an 80s way instead of a realistic way (i think it's like by then ur idea of what acting is, is formed. and then u cant go back to being all im just being happy on stage) ...i dont know how to desc. there is one funny thing.. :) claudio and hero kiss (this is like 16 yr olds) and it was like a lips bouncing off each other minute moment... it wudnt have stuck in the mind if it wasnt followed by romeo and juliet...

so yeah 12 year olds i think...v minimalist but perfect...all in black...with lil touches of red/yellow to show which house they belonged to. romeo was this skinny-tee wearing emo-brown-haired boy (straight hair all brushed into face) with a yellow ribbon around the wrist... it was so beautiful. they were all really into their roles. nothing over the top or acted about it...by the end of it you're just involved, forget that they're 12 year olds...and want them not to die! her father was obv a boy her own age and they hadnt bothered with aging him up or anything (black shirt and red tie as opposed to romeo's tee shirt wearingness - more than enuf) anyhoo kisses :) there were atleast 3 separate moments when they had to cause its in the dialogue (with this kiss i die etc)...and it was so normal (ok the first time its a bit strange, just cause u stil rem their 12ness) pretty hazy red lighting hitting his emo hair as he moved back and his hair moved back too...like detached from her face...gahh am describing this badly.

decided it needed illustrating!

in the post speeching, organising female mentioned that they'd made the stage manager cry thrice that day :) (rehearsal and techs and evrything..) id not seen romeo and juliet on stage before. so beautiful. still thinking bout it :)
my nu theory shakespeare shud be performed by chilluns always!