On Sunday, 19 th November, the S4-S6 Literature in English students had the invaluable opportunity to enjoy the modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. The trip aimed to allow the students to enhance their interests in drama as one of the set texts in the DSE syllabus. Not only did the students enjoy the theatrical aspects of the play, but they were also able to experience the atmosphere of being inside a theatre. Some students gasped in excitement as the play started and wowed their way out of the theatre when the play finished. When leaving the theatre, a few students’ reactions even reflected one of the famous lines, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” Here are some of the students’ reflections:
“Our trip to watch Romeo and Juliet was an unforgettable experience. The actor’s captivating performance conveyed the intensity of the characters. The set created a visual backdrop of the tragic love story. Also, the use of modern music gradually unfolded the love between Romeo and Juliet showing a range of emotions from joy to heartbreak. As the play concluded, it captured the heartbreak ending of the two characters and moved the audience to tears. This trip to the theatre was a good experience for us to understand the significance of the setting and music in terms of a play and how it has an impact on a live performance.” – 5S (6) Lim Cheuk Chee Rachel
“Surprisingly, my experience at the play was really good since I’m not a theatrical person. I didn’t think the theatre would be all that interesting, but after being there watching my first play in person, I have definitely changed my thoughts about theatrical performances. Overall, I had an enjoyable time. There were so many amazing scenes that I was intrigued and captivated the entire time. They weren’t just being actors. They featured singing and dancing, which was really imaginative and different from what I was anticipating. They were all incredibly accomplished because they could all play several instruments.” – 5S (10) Shrestha Sayastha
“Knowing that this would be my first theatre experience, I had many expectations coming into this. I expected an old and classic telling of Romeo and Juliet. But the addition of a modern twist with the clothing and settings made it a bit less distant from my imagination. Although the use of Shakespearean English was quite hard to understand, the depth of acting kept me immersed fully. My favourite part of the play was how seamlessly the actors switched between being ensemble roles and moving props around while giving a heartfelt performance.” – 5S (21) Singh Gurshaan Khatkar
On 19th November, our school’s Literature in English Department organised a trip for students to watch a production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
I always wanted to watch a production of a Shakespearen play, so I was over the moon that I was able to watch this production. Shakespearean English is challenging. To prepare better before watching the production, I read an abridged version of the play. Not a lot to go by, I know, but it was all I could do with the limited time I had.
The play isn’t set in the 14th Century Verona, Italy, where everyone is wearing elegant ball gowns and such. This production took a modern twist. It was set in the 21st Century, modern-day “Verona”, where all the characters are all dressed in casual, day-to-day clothing. The stage props are minimal as well. A ladder wrapped with vines was used as Juliet’s balcony, and two movable blocks served as a podium, a bed, and even the tomb on which Juliet and Romeo (spoilers) die on. The modern twist doesn’t end there either– Juliet even had a Billie Eilish poster in her room!
Another change from the original play was the live music. Some actors and actresses would perform short covers of famous songs during transitions or while others were acting out a scene on stage. It really was incredible, and showed off how talented the cast was to be able to act, sing and play an instrument all at once. Besides that, it added an extra dimension to the play, and helped heighten the audiences’ emotion during different moments of the story.
The acting was phenomenal. The actors and actresses did a fantastic job conveying emotions with their expressions and body language as well as with the delivery of lines, enrapturing the audience despite the sort-of language barrier. Romeo’s last soliloquy, in particular, left us on the edge of our seats.
This wasn’t my first live play, but it was for many of the other students, and it was great fun watching their reactions to it! One memorable moment for me was seeing a classmate’s hands covering her mouth and eyes wide in shock as Juliet positioned the dagger over her chest. I couldn’t help but smile as students’ eyes lit up, jaws dropped, and hands gripped tightly to their seats throughout the play. It truly filled me with joy to know that so many of those in the audience were experiencing the magic of a live performance for the first time! – 6S (4) Sadie Gardiner