Tags
Contact Theatre Manchester, English Renaissance, Night Light Theatre, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare, The Tempest
Night Light Theatre transform Verona, the world of Romeo and Juliet, into an isolated magical space comparable to The Tempest’s Island, which ‘is full of noises,/Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not’ (III.ii, lines 135-6). The youthful and extremely talented cast provide a vocalised soundtrack to indicate key dramatic moments particularly the fighting between the Montagues and Capulets. They also play the accordion, acoustic guitar, violin and flute to create a world of love and mirth before tragic events take precedence.
What is particularly interesting is that Night Light Theatre appear to oppose the traditional lavish Shakespearean production. There are no elaborate stage sets, expensive designer costumes, unwieldy props, a lengthy running time slavish to Shakespeare’s every word (anything shorter than three hours is normally a rip-off) or a focus on the great individual performances of the play’s main characters. Instead, the audience are treated to a streamlined seventy-five minutes in which -Continue reading>
