"These violent delights have violent ends..."
Audiences raved over Tempest Theatre’s recent production of Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet promises to be no less rewarding. Without ever sacrificing the rich theatrical tradition of the text, or the clarity and meaning of the language, our shows never fail to provide an immediate, exciting experience – sparking interesting and enthusiastic dialogue between audience and actors in the after-show question-and-answer sessions. With a lively, all-original musical score, stunning performances and direction from seasoned veterans of Toronto stages, and fight choreography by some of the best theatrical stunt professionals working in Canada today, Tempest Theatre Group seeks to raise the bar on presenting the Classics.
Set in the turn of the last century, in the glory days of the old Edwardian Music Hall, Tempest Theatre Group brings the classic story of Romeo and Juliet to vibrant life. The Capulets and Montagues have an age old enmity, the motivation for which Shakespeare never went into in any kind of detail. Tempest Theatre has taken on the task of filling in the blanks. In our production the Capulets are a family of actors that have risen in society as the Barrymores of their day. But the Montagues, a rich bourgeois family, are less than happy to see what they consider essentially gypsies being given status in the community. Thus a rift between the families is formed. Old Capulet, in an attempt to prove his legitimacy, has organized a marriage between his daughter Juliet and the kinsman of the Prince, the noble County Paris. The hope is that when this marriage goes through, the Capulets will now be a part of the aristocracy, and no one will be allowed to turn their noses down at them again. Nothing could possibly go wrong with this plan. Nothing, until a young lad named Romeo comes on the scene. . .
Romeo and Juliet is one of the few plays in which Shakespeare wrote a Chorus. It is also one of the few that begins at the end, with the Chorus detailing the events of the play at the very start. We at Tempest Theatre decided to take full advantage of this intrinsic storytelling element that Shakespeare wrote into the play, by casting the Chorus as a cabaret style MC. Though his purpose is to move the play along, he also moves the story along as Fate, and his presence is felt throughout the show. Thus, as the play dictates, we begin at the end. We see Capulet alone on stage, packing up his theatre which is now on its last legs. Alone he begins to recall the tragic events that led to his daughter's death, but in true Capulet form, recalls it as a theatrical show hosted by an MC. The story begins in a flurry of theatrical comedy and fantastic stage combat, but as we move through the show, as the stage is slowly cleared of set pieces and we become aware of the genuine tragedy this story tells, our play goes from colourful theatrics, to stark realism.
Performed, as ever, with Tempest Theatre's typical clarity of text, the story is straightforward and easy to follow, but at the same time far from dry. There will be no doubt that your students will come away from the show with not only a clear understanding of the story itself, but a deeper appreciation of the structure of the text. And they'll also have a heck of a good time.