A unique take on the William Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet is exposing Newcastle's HER Productions to a broader audience through UpStage at the Playhouse.
Romeo & Juliet: A Reimagining is directed by Charlotte De Wit, who co-founded HER Productions with Marigold Pazar in 2021.
The cast includes Aida Bernhardt (Juliet), Thomas Filer (Romeo), Rachelle Schmidt (Capulet), Katy Carruthers (Montague), and Matthew Gardener (Mercutio).
Physical theatre is incorporated into the production, and the text adapted and trimmed to create powerful moments where the movement of bodies conveys as much emotion and meaning as the spoken word. In this way, the "reimagined" element is in the freedom of exploration by the actors themselves.
"This piece has lived in my creative mind for years," De Wit said.
"My training in physical theatre and my previous work using this methodology have drawn me to combine movement with Shakespeare's beautiful language.
"Both art forms hold rhythm and musicality that I believe will make them more accessible and gripping."
The actors and creative team were tasked with approaching the work "from a place of curiosity ... throwing all possibilities at the wall and seeing what best serves this story".
"A significant inspiration for this piece is the work of Frantic Assembly in England, a company that uses movement to express text on another level," De Wit said.
"In our current world, we often live in our heads, disconnected from our physical bodies and their feelings and reactions.
"My hope is that the audience leaves not only moved by the story but also by the imagery created by the ensemble, gaining a deeper understanding of the text through both language and the visual, visceral feeling of movement."
HER Productions is committed to nurturing local talent and producing work in Newcastle that is, Pazar says, "beautifully crafted, professionally driven, and holds space for female identifying individuals in the performing and creative arts industry".
"With every production, no less than half our production teams are female identifying, as it is extremely important to us to be advocating for more female leadership positions in the creative and performing arts industry," she said.
"As a company in its early stages, we are deeply interested in collaborating with diverse creative disciplines. Whether through dance, fine art, music, poetry, fashion or film, we are constantly inspired to integrate various artistic expressions into our productions.
"The works we choose are works that we believe will resonate deeply with audiences, leaving them with a sense of reflection and connection."
In addition to reimagined classics, HER Productions' repertoire spans everything from Shakespeare and Chekhov to modern plays like Blackbird and Low Level Panic. Romeo & Juliet: A Reimagining is the first to use a fusion of movement and text, resulting in a more stylised, contemporary work.
Being chosen as part of this year's Civic's UpStage program has given the company the opportunity to showcase a production on a scale they wouldn't have been able to achieve otherwise.
"The program has allowed us to spread our wings and bring ambitious ideas to life ... and performing in this prestigious venue has enabled us to reach a larger audience and sell more tickets, which in turn helps support and sustain our company's future growth," Pazar said.
