In a nice break from my thesis write up I got to go and see GB Theatre's outdoor performance of Romeo & Juliet in the Peace Gardens. I took Catherine with me as it obviously a first choice tale for someone about to be married?! I had won the tickets in the 'Off the Shelf' competition.
They had switched off the fountains for the night and performed over the spurt-holes. Apparently the Peace Gardens was designed for outdoor performance and though some dancing has happened there before this was the first theatre. An old friend from Tapton was teching and Gabriel Thomson from 'My Family' was Romeo. They all had really nice swords and really ridiculous leggings. Mercutio, Benvolio and the Friar were all particularly awesome. They used guitars, violins and voice beautifully for the sad bits.
Believe it or not this was the first time I had seen or read Romeo and Juliet. Theatre lover and English Graduate but I'd never happened upon it until tonight and I've still not seen Macbeth. Watching theatre I don't get the emotion I used to, the lithium restricts me and I'm so much more objective, casting a director's eye over how things are executed. I wanted to be an actress when other little girls wanted to be ponies.
Can't help think though, that if Juliet hadn't been so willing Romeo would have moved on again in a fortnight like he did from Rosaline. Greatest love story ever told? I don't think so but an excellent portrayal of a teenage crush played out in all its melodrama.
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