Romet and Juliet

Translated by Thomas Brasch

Juliet loves Romeo, and Romeo loves Juliet. What could be more beautiful? But those who pledge their love to each other – a feeling greater than any colour, shape or language could adequately describe – must also expect to face daunting obstacles. What if they suddenly recognise dangers that threaten their mutual love? What if their love does not correspond to long-observed conventions and traditions? In any case, the new love of this young, star-crossed couple will not end well. For their families, the Capulets and Montagues, are embroiled in a bitter feud. The divisions between the family elders are insurmountable and a source of agony for the younger generation. No mutual effort, no secret engagement, no pleas or supplications can reconcile the families’ deep acrimony. The bitter acknowledgement of this fact is contrasted by the tender hope for a better future in the handshake between Capulet and Montague.

Likely written between 1594 and 1596, this tragedy by William Shakespeare has long become a legend. It indisputably sets the standard for a romantic love which can overcome seemingly every obstacle, and yet is doomed to perish. The tragedy contains all the elements that have made the work of this playwright timeless: visual language, stylistically polished comedy, a life philosophy that still apples today, and the portraits of deep friendships.

 After staging the turbulent comedy »A Midsummer Night’s Dream«, our in-house director Jan Neumann now presents »Romeo and Juliet« and the possibilities of a love that blossoms under a bad omen.