A gender-blind version of Romeo and Juliet is coming to London’s Greenwich Theatre from April 18 to April 22.
The Merely Theatre company has created a version of the famous Shakespeare play where Romeo can be played by a long-haired woman and Juliet can sport stubble on stage. They cite the importance of telling a compelling story above the need for a gender distinction.
Director Scott Ellis explains: “Shakespeare wrote so few lines for women, around 16 per cent of lines are spoken by female characters. That was fine back then, but nowadays we need to keep up our modern standards.”
It started two years ago, when the company was too short on female actors. They showed a couple of plays where male characters were played by women. The move was well received by audiences and the company decided to go on with it.
Ellis is now pleased to consider his company 100 per cent gender-blind giving him a 50/50 employment rate of men and women.
The company itself has since been cut down to 10 actors: five men and five women.
The producers of Merely Theatre cast for one male and one female role and the actors alternate characters at each performance.
Ellis adds: “We try to think of feminine and masculine rather than male and female. Some of the female actors may bring more feminine qualities."
He continued: "for a specific character they may have to shift those for a character that has more masculine qualities. But we don’t say ‘play it as a man.”
The company is touring all around the UK but will be in London’s Greenwich Theatre between 18 - 22 April.
