In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare said: ‘Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love’. What if he had told a different story about Mercutio and Tybalt – Sworn enemies and… fated lovers? In this fresh twist on one of the world’s most famous love stories, Starcrossed reveals the intrigue and passion of a forbidden romance forged in strife, stifled by circumstance and silenced by history.
Reimagining Shakespeare’s verse for the modern age, Rachel Garnet’s tender, witty, and heart-wrenching new play gives unfairly sidelined characters new life and has received critical acclaim since first premiering at the New York International Fringe Festival. ‘Starcrossed’, will get its UK premiere at Wilton’s Music Hall.
Garnet said: ‘To me, there is nothing more interesting, captivating, or fulfilling to write about than love. And so, in adapting the most famous love story of all time, I had no ill-conceived notions that I could surpass what Shakespeare had created but instead, I simply wished to explore the same excitement and risk of love he shared with us 400 years ago. Tybalt and Mercutio are two of the most engaging and memorable characters in the English language and I hope that British audiences will fall in love with them all over again, just as I did while writing the show. The life in the walls and floorboards of Wilton’s Music Hall makes it the perfect home for ‘Starcrossed’, and I am excited for audiences to welcome Tybalt and Mercutio back to the UK where their story first was told.”
Director Philip Wilson said: ‘When I first read ‘Starcrossed’, I was struck by how Rachel Garnet had taken an oh-so-familiar story and retold it in such a witty, imaginative, and passionate way. The burgeoning love affair between Mercutio and Tybalt is so touching; and so tense to watch as we wonder if, in this parallel world, they will escape the fate that Shakespeare determined for them. Above all, it is a story of two young people struggling to explore their unexpected love, in a world riven by hate. I’m so excited to be introducing this play to British audiences – and Wilton’s Music Hall is the perfect venue in which to stage this story, steeped as it is with history, humour, and song.”
Wilton’s Music Hall, Graces Alley, London E1 8JB from Wednesday 1 June – Saturday 25 June, 2022. Times: Monday – Saturday at 7 30pm; Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm. Admission: £15 – £30.
Booking: 020 7702 2789 –http://www.wiltons.org.uk/
http://starcrossedtheplayuk.com
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