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Programme Notes for Romeo and Juliet February 2023
The play is set in modern day Verona in the North of Italy and aims to evoke heat and sunshine. Looking at it you can believe yourself in a square in Italy. The houses of Capulet and Montague are rival fashion houses and Italian fashion is displayed on the electronic Bill Board in the Piazza or square. Fashion items are displayed on this bill board as the audience take their seats. At the Capulet’s party their new collection is featured in a video projected on the wall.
The Set
On the left of the stage is a colonnade of five arches approached by two steps. Above the arches is a range of windows, with blinds closed against the strong sun. At the furthest end of these arches is a house with a balcony above approached from within the house by a curtained opening. Below the balcony are arched double doors. On either side of these doors is a bay tree in a pot. Beyond the house, still at the back of the stage is a Romanesque church with four steps leading up to its central door and a large stained glass rose window above it. Statues of two saints are displayed in niches on either side of the door. Beyond the church and running from back right to front right are two very large rounded arches which lead into and out of the piazza. Ornamented turrets are constructed above these arches and between them is a carved shield. At times a modern round café table and two chairs appear with an electronic bill board behind them. The walls of the buildings in the piazza are of a soft honey toned sandstone and the marble floor is pastel shades of blue, grey and sand.
The cast and costumes.
As in most of Shakespeare’s plays the cast is extensive and not all of the parts are important. The important Capulets are Juliet, her mother Lady Capulet and her father, Lord Capulet, her cousin Tybalt, and her nurse.The important Montagues are Romeo, his mother Lady Montague, and his friend Benvolio. Then there is the Prince Escalus, Count Paris and Mercutio.The final important character is Friar Lawrence.
The entire cast is composed of young people some of whom are just starting on their acting career and they all wear modern dress.
Romeo is played by Adam Gillian. He is of medium height and clean shaven. His black hair is pushed back off his handsome tanned face and he first arrives in black trousers with a black shirt with printed pattern down the front sides. He carries his jacket over his shoulder. For the party he wears a dinner jacket and trousers a white shirt and a bow tie. Later he appears in brown trousers with a white T shirt, decorated with a logo on the front.
Romeo’s friend Benvolio, a slender figure with short fairish hair, first arrives in a striped green shirt with dark green trousers. Then he wears a black suit with a white shirt and later green trousers with white T shirt and white gym shoes. Finnian Garbutt plays Benvolio.
Their other friend Mercutio has eyes set close together in an oval face and has dark brown wavy hair and a dark beard. He is dressed flamboyantly in orange trousers with an orange patterned shirt. Later he wears trousers with a large pattern in orange and a black jacket over a black T shirt. The part of Mercutio is played by Thomas Finnegan who also plays the apothecary in a tattered cloak and a battered hat pulled low over his face.
Lady Montague is Romeo’s mother. She is small and slender with long black hair, large dark eyes and a wide mouth. She wears a patterned gathered skirt with a white shirt and black court shoes.
Balthasar and Abraham work for the Montagues. Abraham is a strong , tall, well-built man with a handsome black beard. He wears a grey t shirt with Logo and black trousers. Balthasar is a woman, slender and tall with long fairish hair. She wears denim jeans and a crop top showing her navel. The part is taken by Lucy McCluskey who also plays Petra, the nurses attendant, wearing beige capri pants and a white blouse. She is laden with carrier bags.
Juliet is slender and pretty, innocent and very youthful, with light brown, long, wavy hair large eyes and a pointed chin. She first appears in evening dress for the party in a strappy white long dress, the full skirt of which is made of chiffon. She also wears running gear comprising white shorts and a long t shirt. For the wedding she wears a short, white cotton dress gathered at the waist and with puff sleeves. She wears a white flower in her hair and her court shoes are also white. Later she wears another white cotton dress, patterned with large red strawberries. She carries a red shoulder bag and a denim jacket. In bed she wears white shorts and a t shirt and for her long death like slumber she’s back in her chiffon skirted party dress. Emma Dougan plays Juliet.
Lady Capulet, Juliet’s mother, is a tall, slender, authoritative figure with long dark hair and a forbidding expression. Rosie McClelland plays Lady Capulet. She is very elegant at the party, wearing a long black gown trimmed with white. A huge white bow adds to her splendour. Later she wears black trousers and top with a white jaclet over and again she sports pink trousers with a patterned white shirt and carries a large black handbag.
Lord Capulet, played by Patrick Buchanan, is a tall imposing figure with an impressive black beard and black hair. He has a square face and deep set eyes, with a thin mouth and he wears a cream linen jacket over a white shirt with black trousers when he first appears. He is in formal evening dress for his party and becomes very informal later, wearing jeans and a denim shirt.
Juliet’s nurse is a rather dumpy figure who wears black rimmed spectacles on her round face over her twinkling eyes and does her long black hair in a bun. For the party she wears a long black skirt with a slit up the side and she is loaded with pearls. Later she wears a black suit trimmed with white and with a black and white patterned shirt under the jacket. Her sunglasses are worn on the top of her head. Laura Hughes plays the nurse.
Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin. He is well built and muscular with a black beard, deep set eyes and an oval face. We first view him in a sleeveless black t shirt and white track suits bottoms He sports a black baseball cap on his head. Then he’s in shorts worn over leggings with a black T shirt and trainers. Later he is dressed smartly for the party in a cream linen suit but when he comes with aggro to the Piazza he wears cream trousers and a white sleeveless t shirt. Tybalt is played by David Craig who also takes the part of Friar John in a brown Franciscan habit.
Samson and Gregory are two Capulet employees. Samson is a small slight figure while Gregory is of average height and girth. They both wear casual clothes. Samson’s white shirt is open down the front over beige trousers and he has a soft gangster style hat on his head while Gregory’s outfit is a brightly patterned shirt over tan trousers. Samson is played by Aaron Ferguson who also plays Count Paris’ assistant and Gregory by Stephen Cooke who also takes the part of Prince Escalus’ guard.
Somewhat surprisingly the Prince is played by a woman, Lata Sharma. Her long dark hair is worn up in a chignon. She is a tall, slender but impressive figure. She wears a bright red coat, resembling a cloak, trimmed with white reveres. Under it she has a black skirt and she wears black court shoes.
Count Paris has a square face, deep set eyes black hair and he sports a black beard. He is tall and broad shouldered and is always elegant, firstly in a black shirt over brown trousers, later he looks casual in a beige shirt over his brown trousers. He wears evening dress for the party and arrives for the wedding with Juliet in a morning suit complete with striped trousers and a tail coat. The part of the count is played by Eugene Evans.
Friar Lawrence, played by Ray Sesay, as you would expect, wears a Franciscan monk’s brown habit with hood. He has a dark complexion and black hair with an oval face and intense eyes. He is tall and well built with broad shoulders.
These notes are prepared by NI Sightlines and can be found on the website www.nisightlines.co.uk They will also be read out as a reminder, ten minutes before the start of the show.
The play is set in modern day Verona in the North of Italy and aims to evoke heat and sunshine. Looking at it you can believe yourself in a square in Italy. The houses of Capulet and Montague are rival fashion houses and Italian fashion is displayed on the electronic Bill Board in the Piazza or square. Fashion items are displayed on this bill board as the audience take their seats. At the Capulet’s party their new collection is featured in a video projected on the wall.
The Set
On the left of the stage is a colonnade of five arches approached by two steps. Above the arches is a range of windows, with blinds closed against the strong sun. At the furthest end of these arches is a house with a balcony above approached from within the house by a curtained opening. Below the balcony are arched double doors. On either side of these doors is a bay tree in a pot. Beyond the house, still at the back of the stage is a Romanesque church with four steps leading up to its central door and a large stained glass rose window above it. Statues of two saints are displayed in niches on either side of the door. Beyond the church and running from back right to front right are two very large rounded arches which lead into and out of the piazza. Ornamented turrets are constructed above these arches and between them is a carved shield. At times a modern round café table and two chairs appear with an electronic bill board behind them. The walls of the buildings in the piazza are of a soft honey toned sandstone and the marble floor is pastel shades of blue, grey and sand.
The cast and costumes.
As in most of Shakespeare’s plays the cast is extensive and not all of the parts are important. The important Capulets are Juliet, her mother Lady Capulet and her father, Lord Capulet, her cousin Tybalt, and her nurse.The important Montagues are Romeo, his mother Lady Montague, and his friend Benvolio. Then there is the Prince Escalus, Count Paris and Mercutio.The final important character is Friar Lawrence.
The entire cast is composed of young people some of whom are just starting on their acting career and they all wear modern dress.
Romeo is played by Adam Gillian. He is of medium height and clean shaven. His black hair is pushed back off his handsome tanned face and he first arrives in black trousers with a black shirt with printed pattern down the front sides. He carries his jacket over his shoulder. For the party he wears a dinner jacket and trousers a white shirt and a bow tie. Later he appears in brown trousers with a white T shirt, decorated with a logo on the front.
Romeo’s friend Benvolio, a slender figure with short fairish hair, first arrives in a striped green shirt with dark green trousers. Then he wears a black suit with a white shirt and later green trousers with white T shirt and white gym shoes. Finnian Garbutt plays Benvolio.
Their other friend Mercutio has eyes set close together in an oval face and has dark brown wavy hair and a dark beard. He is dressed flamboyantly in orange trousers with an orange patterned shirt. Later he wears trousers with a large pattern in orange and a black jacket over a black T shirt. The part of Mercutio is played by Thomas Finnegan who also plays the apothecary in a tattered cloak and a battered hat pulled low over his face.
Lady Montague is Romeo’s mother. She is small and slender with long black hair, large dark eyes and a wide mouth. She wears a patterned gathered skirt with a white shirt and black court shoes.
Balthasar and Abraham work for the Montagues. Abraham is a strong , tall, well-built man with a handsome black beard. He wears a grey t shirt with Logo and black trousers. Balthasar is a woman, slender and tall with long fairish hair. She wears denim jeans and a crop top showing her navel. The part is taken by Lucy McCluskey who also plays Petra, the nurses attendant, wearing beige capri pants and a white blouse. She is laden with carrier bags.
Juliet is slender and pretty, innocent and very youthful, with light brown, long, wavy hair large eyes and a pointed chin. She first appears in evening dress for the party in a strappy white long dress, the full skirt of which is made of chiffon. She also wears running gear comprising white shorts and a long t shirt. For the wedding she wears a short, white cotton dress gathered at the waist and with puff sleeves. She wears a white flower in her hair and her court shoes are also white. Later she wears another white cotton dress, patterned with large red strawberries. She carries a red shoulder bag and a denim jacket. In bed she wears white shorts and a t shirt and for her long death like slumber she’s back in her chiffon skirted party dress. Emma Dougan plays Juliet.
Lady Capulet, Juliet’s mother, is a tall, slender, authoritative figure with long dark hair and a forbidding expression. Rosie McClelland plays Lady Capulet. She is very elegant at the party, wearing a long black gown trimmed with white. A huge white bow adds to her splendour. Later she wears black trousers and top with a white jaclet over and again she sports pink trousers with a patterned white shirt and carries a large black handbag.
Lord Capulet, played by Patrick Buchanan, is a tall imposing figure with an impressive black beard and black hair. He has a square face and deep set eyes, with a thin mouth and he wears a cream linen jacket over a white shirt with black trousers when he first appears. He is in formal evening dress for his party and becomes very informal later, wearing jeans and a denim shirt.
Juliet’s nurse is a rather dumpy figure who wears black rimmed spectacles on her round face over her twinkling eyes and does her long black hair in a bun. For the party she wears a long black skirt with a slit up the side and she is loaded with pearls. Later she wears a black suit trimmed with white and with a black and white patterned shirt under the jacket. Her sunglasses are worn on the top of her head. Laura Hughes plays the nurse.
Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin. He is well built and muscular with a black beard, deep set eyes and an oval face. We first view him in a sleeveless black t shirt and white track suits bottoms He sports a black baseball cap on his head. Then he’s in shorts worn over leggings with a black T shirt and trainers. Later he is dressed smartly for the party in a cream linen suit but when he comes with aggro to the Piazza he wears cream trousers and a white sleeveless t shirt. Tybalt is played by David Craig who also takes the part of Friar John in a brown Franciscan habit.
Samson and Gregory are two Capulet employees. Samson is a small slight figure while Gregory is of average height and girth. They both wear casual clothes. Samson’s white shirt is open down the front over beige trousers and he has a soft gangster style hat on his head while Gregory’s outfit is a brightly patterned shirt over tan trousers. Samson is played by Aaron Ferguson who also plays Count Paris’ assistant and Gregory by Stephen Cooke who also takes the part of Prince Escalus’ guard.
Somewhat surprisingly the Prince is played by a woman, Lata Sharma. Her long dark hair is worn up in a chignon. She is a tall, slender but impressive figure. She wears a bright red coat, resembling a cloak, trimmed with white reveres. Under it she has a black skirt and she wears black court shoes.
Count Paris has a square face, deep set eyes black hair and he sports a black beard. He is tall and broad shouldered and is always elegant, firstly in a black shirt over brown trousers, later he looks casual in a beige shirt over his brown trousers. He wears evening dress for the party and arrives for the wedding with Juliet in a morning suit complete with striped trousers and a tail coat. The part of the count is played by Eugene Evans.
Friar Lawrence, played by Ray Sesay, as you would expect, wears a Franciscan monk’s brown habit with hood. He has a dark complexion and black hair with an oval face and intense eyes. He is tall and well built with broad shoulders.
These notes are prepared by NI Sightlines and can be found on the website www.nisightlines.co.uk They will also be read out as a reminder, ten minutes before the start of the show.