If you had the option of being inducted into one of the two best-known families ever created by Shakespeare, which would you choose?
Pick a side this weekend, as theatre group Constellation Dubai unveils its new, immersive promenade-theatre play, Romeo+Juliet, at Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre, Mall of the Emirates. The warring families have been given a modern twist – the Montagues are Indian while the Capulets are westerners – referencing two of the biggest expatriate groups in the UAE.
Artistic director Elizabeth Hadaway, who has been involved in this type of theatre in London, Singapore and Hong Kong, believes UAE theatregoers are ready for an unconventional theatre experience, which includes being handed a red or green mask and following the 19-member cast around seven locations at the Mall of the Emirates.
Some members of the audience will also get to participate in funny banter between scenes.
“They may even get the chance to drink chai with Romeo’s mum,” says Hadaway.
“I expect a lot of the audience members to be slightly disorientated, not knowing what to expect at first. But the cast will explain each scene to them, while in character. They will also learn how promenade theatre works, and will discover different theatre elements.”
The tragedy has been adapted for the Dubai setting, so while the basic story and Shakespearean dialogue remain untouched, the big conflict is the interracial love affair between Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet.
"The two factions represent the UAE's western and Indian expatriates," says Hadaway." And while the country is a melting pot of cultures, I still think such marriages are rare. Being married to an Indian, I know that there are strong preferences within communities. So the Romeo+Julie story is still quite relevant in that way."
Indian actor Taraash Mehrotra portrays Romeo, while Australian actress Sally Greenland, who has performed lead characters in several Shakespeare productions in New York, plays Juliet.
“Juliet isn’t the innocent victim as generally interpreted from the original,” says Greenland. “She takes on a modern role that women have these days. She speaks up for herself, she fights for what she believes in.”
The contemporary touch extends to the costumes.
“Some of the dresses I will be wearing are a floor-length pink chiffon ball gown couture dress embellished with Swarovski crystals made in Beirut, a luxurious bathrobe made by a couturier in Dubai, and a fur coat.”
• Romeo+Juliet will be staged at Ductac from today until Saturday at 8pm, with an additional midnight show tomorrow at 10.30pm. Tickets cost Dh100 on www.ductac.org
aahmed@thenational.ae
