If you were to poll the general public as to which of William Shakespeare's plays they rated as their favourite, the majority of people would probably plump for Romeo and Juliet. It's a timeless tale of young love that ends tragically, yet with a legacy of hope for those left behind.
Our own MADC has produced the play at San Anton Gardens on three occasions and there have been several productions by foreign companies at our national theatre, The Manoel.
And this month another theatre group from overseas will produce Romeo and Juliet on our shores. Well, a bit further inland actually, in the open-air theatre at the Maria Regina School in Blata l-Bajda on July 24 and 25. The company is Theatre Studio West, from London, who, under their artistic director Julie Saunders (see interview on page 10) will present, in collaboration with the Malta Drama Centre, what they themselves describe as "A fantastic raw production of a classic". Under Ms Saunders' direction the company has gone for a modern interpretation with contemporary dialogue and costumes. Despite this bold treatment, Ms Saunders says: "I hope it will echo the classical Europe where Shakespeare set the story."
It will certainly be a multicultural experience, with the young cast drawn from the many sectors and ethnic groups in west London. Music will play a very important role and the fights and dances have been arranged by an Indonesian choreographer. Ms Saunders herself is from a West Indian, Irish and Chinese background.
We're sure there will be many more interpretations of R and J in the years to come - and of course this summer, with the Globe's production at the Malta Arts Festival. But we will stick our necks out here and say, there will probably not be many more exciting and - yes OK - raw versions of this great piece of theatre.
Tickets for this production are available from The Drama Centre at Blata l-Bajda, telephone 2122 0665, or from Merlin Library.
Our own MADC has produced the play at San Anton Gardens on three occasions and there have been several productions by foreign companies at our national theatre, The Manoel.
And this month another theatre group from overseas will produce Romeo and Juliet on our shores. Well, a bit further inland actually, in the open-air theatre at the Maria Regina School in Blata l-Bajda on July 24 and 25. The company is Theatre Studio West, from London, who, under their artistic director Julie Saunders (see interview on page 10) will present, in collaboration with the Malta Drama Centre, what they themselves describe as "A fantastic raw production of a classic". Under Ms Saunders' direction the company has gone for a modern interpretation with contemporary dialogue and costumes. Despite this bold treatment, Ms Saunders says: "I hope it will echo the classical Europe where Shakespeare set the story."
It will certainly be a multicultural experience, with the young cast drawn from the many sectors and ethnic groups in west London. Music will play a very important role and the fights and dances have been arranged by an Indonesian choreographer. Ms Saunders herself is from a West Indian, Irish and Chinese background.
We're sure there will be many more interpretations of R and J in the years to come - and of course this summer, with the Globe's production at the Malta Arts Festival. But we will stick our necks out here and say, there will probably not be many more exciting and - yes OK - raw versions of this great piece of theatre.
Tickets for this production are available from The Drama Centre at Blata l-Bajda, telephone 2122 0665, or from Merlin Library.