Arts
Romeo and Juliet gets a Studiolusion makeover
Following a successful run of tackling cyberbullying in ‘Chatroom’ in 2017, Studiolusion is back, this time with a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Written and directed by Studiolusion’s Artistic Director Tasmin Anthonisz, ‘Heirs’, an immersive theatre experience will be staged on July 19, 20 and 21.
The cast (l-r) Luxmi, Lithmal, Hasub, Ayudhya with director Tasmin (second from right)
After finishing her first production Chatroom, it took Tasmin only a couple of years to come up with Heirs. Though the production is based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Studiolusion aims to take the structure of the original play and completely change and modernise it. “We’ve made it more relevant,” she explains.
As such, the two rival houses of the Montagues and Capulets are now business rivals, with a conflict of ideology at the heart of it all. The Capulets are conservative and traditional, wanting to preserve the old ways of doing things, while the Montagues are the complete opposite. The play is essentially about bringing both ideologies together and getting the two parties to reconcile with each other.
In terms of directing, Tasmin is keen on providing her audience with an immersive experience. Heirs will not be showcased on a traditional stage, and instead will be in an intimate garden setting. The audience will literally walk into the big ball in progress, and be amongst the actors as the play progresses.
Another departure from the original play is the absence of Tybalt, Romeo’s rival, and the expansion of the role of Romeo’s first crush Rosaline.
Ayudhya Gajanayake who plays Rosaline finds her character interesting, especially as she adds a new dimension to the play. Rosaline has a strong presence and personality, and since the play is based in a contemporary setting her character is also empowering.
Unlike Rosaline though, Mercutio her ex comes off as the complete opposite. Portrayed by Lithmal Jayawardhana, Mercutio is the centre of attention at every party.
“His family are billionaires, but Mercutio had tough luck emotionally right throughout his life.” His rebellious nature affects his relationship with his family. In terms of the play, his happy-go-lucky nature is tested by his contentious relationship with Rosaline.
We are soon joined by Haseeb Hassen, who plays Romeo. Bringing the character into a modern setting has a lot to do with analyzing hopeless romantics of the modern age, we are told. Haseeb is quick to add he is not a Romeo though in real life, so he had to do the research.
Romeo’s sweetheart Juliet, as portrayed by Luxmi Wijenathan, takes on a more serious role in the play. Luxmi finds Juliet’s relationship with Romeo to be quite special. Aside from this, Juliet is also “the perfect portrayal of a girl’s struggle, since almost everyone has a particular impression of a woman and how she’s supposed to be and what her parents expect of her,” Luxmi explains.
‘Heirs’ is also a play that is relatable to Sri Lankans, according to Tasmin, as “you’ve got two cultures that are at ease with each other, with just a little tension and culture clash. Then suddenly somebody does something and everything gets blown out of proportion.”
Heirs is presented by Studiolusion in partnership with AOD and HomeTree Coworking. It will be showcased at No. 18/4 Kirimandala Mawatha, Nawala (next to Vidura College).
Tickets are available at Takas.lk. The play is suitable for mature audiences.