A good taste of Shakespeare

I'm not a fan of “Romeo and Juliet,” but I think it was both magical and beautiful in Tigerstad Theatre's version in Sofienberg Church.

It was dark outside Sofienberg Church in the center of Oslo, but torches were set up so you could find your way. Outside there was a van with the name Tigerstadteateret. I was greeted in the hallway with a choice, Montague or Capulet? At the entrance to Capulet, there were two actors who waved me towards them. One of them introduced himself as Tybalt, Juliet's cousin. We walked on and were greeted by Juliet's father, who showed us the sign for Capulet and asked us to show our finger every time someone from Montague came on stage. The hallway was made of fabric that hung above us and gave the illusion that the ceiling was much lower than it actually was. We took off our shoes and went into the hall. We are going to see “Romeo + Juliet” by Tigerstadsteatret and SPKRBOX. I really enjoyed the performance, and I can recommend it to everyone. It was almost magical inside Sofienberg Church. 

Love and arrogance

The play begins with a fight between Montague and Capulet, where they have mixed fighting and dancing, which makes it look lively. The mayor arrives and orders Capulet and Montague to break up and end the foolish war between them. They have no reason to hate each other so much. We meet Romeo, a young Montague boy who is not interested in fighting, but would rather write poetry and read. Romeo's cousin wants him to go to a masquerade party, but this party is at the Capulet's and he hesitates. He didn't want to start another argument and give them a reason to fight, but he is dragged along anyway. Juliet is a young, kind and beautiful woman - and the daughter of Mr. Capulet. Mr. and Mrs. Capulet want her to marry the prince of a powerful country, Prince Paris. They dress Juliet in the most beautiful clothes with gold and roses to show her off at the party. 

At Capulet's it's a party! Models in fancy outfits walk up and down the stage as if it were a fashion show and Mr. Capulet sings it in progress. There's dancing, fun and music. The Capulet are dazzled in beautiful feathered costumes and white masks. It gives the feeling that they are better than the rest of us, it's almost uncomfortable. I regret a little that I chose Capulet. Throughout the performance, the Capulet family shows an arrogant and self-important attitude that I can't stand. It may be because I see myself in it a little, but it's not the attitude I want to have. Romeo and Juliet meet each other, the light is only on the two of them, their eyes meet. They see each other, and not just their appearance, they see each other's insides. The bad and the good, and they love it. They quickly fall for each other while dancing. They are pulled apart by their friends, but their hearts remain. In the evening they meet again, outside the walls of Capulet. They declare their love for each other and decide to get married the following evening. 

Poor communication between lovers

I don't have a strong relationship with the original text that Shakespeare wrote. I see it as an idiotic and stupid fairy tale with poor communication between lovers. It's probably because I think it's implausible, a fairy tale made up to give hope in a gloomy time where you had to follow laws and rules about what colors you could wear. For me, it's about two rebellious teenagers who fall in love with the idea of ​​running away with someone their parents don't approve of. Now I'm probably a bit boring and cynical. But I really liked this version! I enjoyed the costumes and the set design. The secret passages around the stage were fun to follow, because you never knew where the actors would appear from. With breakdancing and hip hop, this gave the play a modern touch, without ruining the story. The costumes, with sandals and mini dresses on Montague and sky blue suits on Capulet, clearly showed the difference in how the different houses saw themselves. The Capulet were a more traditional noble family with white coats and gowns, while the Montagues were more modern. The performance was unfashionable and modern at the same time. The story was once unique, but now it's a cliché.