Romeo en Julia op het Internationaal jongerentheater festival Sapperlot, Brixen

2002

Review

ROMEO & JULIA

JONNA Theatreschool Belgium

I think it would be useless to start this review summarizing the piece, as if there is a drama everybody knows it is “Romeo & Julia”. And that is also what makes any adaptation of it so difficult. After all the films and theatre performances we have already seen can a group still bring something new into it? Well, the Jonna Theatreschool definitely did. There were quite some original ideas in yesterday’s performance, some exciting and very fresh moments, some especially touching and moving ones. I liked the basic idea with the transparent curtain, which allowed all players to participate also when they were not really involved in the happening (although it made the decreasing concentration by the group more obvious: while in the beginning they stood still and all in the same position towards the end you could observe them talking and moving). I really enjoyed the musical insertions, the players seemed to love dancing and rapping on stage, and they transmit their enthusiasm to the audience. The idea to divide the main parts between more players was ok, and especially the several Julias convinced with their very different characters, showing the changing moods in growing ups, but yet their ability to feel sadness, love, joy,… Thanks to the group for playing the important parts in English, in this way one could still follow the action, even if they probably feel more confident playing in their mother tongue and therefore were more expressive in those moments. Honestly I was a bit disappointed by the ending. After a very free remake of the entire piece I would have accepted something different. I think I am not the only person who every time she watches this play wishes the both not to die, wants them to be more clever than the original Romeo and Julia. And although the visibly wanted to convince I think a youth group should take itself the freedom to do something different.

gaby