Love in a hot climate... or... on a camper van

How does one produce a Shakespeare play with just seven actors, a Volkswagen camper van, some cast-off period costumes (not nearly enough) merged with jeans and shirts and some very basic props? With oodles of talent and imagination, the Globe Theatre touring group presented a memorable production of Romeo and Juliet that was as real and immediate as any I have ever seen; possibly more. Above all it was a moving performance and that is the most important aspect of all.

This was a relatively novel way to produce a Shakespeare play; at least here in Malta. Several parts were doubled up; for instance the Lords Montague and Capulet plus Friar Lawrence were all one and the same actor, Conrad Westmaas, who, with astounding versatility and minimal changes to his appearance; a cross or a dressing gown, transformed himself from one extreme character to another; arrogant Capulet to humble Lawrence at the drop of a hat. Same with Bridgitta Roy, who was in the main Lady Capulet but another couple of minor characters to boot! The only niggling question I have is whether someone who does not know the play at all (unlikely, but possible) would be able to follow it.

What impressed me most about this production was the speed in which it was presented.

Despite the searing heat and tangible humidity, the actors ran, jumped, pounced, fought, fell, embraced, climbed, danced and sang with full abandon and, above all, speaking the Shakespearean blank verse with incredible ease and clarity not only of pronunciation but of meaning also.

This just goes to show how utterly magical Shakespearean verse is and how it is that and practically only that which has ensured the Bard's survival for over four centuries. Once Shakespeare can be presented in a way that makes perfect sense in the 21st century, then like Bach's music, it is assured its indestructibility in a world far removed from 14th century Verona. One can perform Bach's music on "prepared" dustbins and it will still sound great and, likewise, Shakespeare can be put up on a shoestring and still impress and amaze.

With no help from the periodic tattoo of petards that became louder and louder as the evening progressed, a couple of intrepid cats that were totally unimpressed by what was going on and a uniformed individual of indeterminate sex who insisted on rolling cigarettes and smoking them in full view of the audience, the sad and tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet once again touched my heart as it never fails to do.

Alan Morrissey's Romeo was the first one that was able to project the bawdy with the romantic in equal measure so much so that I had always considered Romeo to be a bit of a drip compared to the fiery Mercutio played so elegantly by Nitzan Sharron who was also the Duke, apart from another minor character. Romeo was thanks to Morrissey a more rounded character whose humanity transcended that of the star-crossed lover. The Prince of Cats, Tybalt and Paris were both played by Perri Snowdon; two roles that could not have been more dissimilar; one having an overdose of testosterone and the other a silly fop! Snowdon portrayed both with equal conviction. Dominique Bull's Juliet was a dream; all that one would expect of a raw adolescent, still a little girl, in love for the first and only tragic time.

One could remember the pain of our own first love; those exquisite pangs that only adolescents feel... Marsha Henry's nurse was sublime; I am convinced that I will never see any other performance of this bawdy role that will out do it. Above all it was the slickness and inventiveness of Elizabeth Freestone's direction that takes the top prize.

Globe's visit to Malta has created a new benchmark in Shakespearean interpretation; one that has forever left the declamations of classicism and the silly men in tights image behind and created with not a little effort and lots of talent and imagination, something contemporary that still speaks volumes to people of all states and ages in the era of mobile phones and internet!

If only Friar Lawrence had had a mobile phone... but, if he had, then nobody would have written any sad tale of fair Juliet and her Romeo, would they?