The stage is all set but sadly the performance was cancelled .
Before and After
Monica Volini and Olivia Scott-Smith discuss playing Shakespeare ’ s Juliet
Costume designs by Ben Lundy , Year 11 . Costume creation by Sara Baruffaldi .
MV : At first , I was quite scared of taking on such a well-known character . However , our first month of rehearsals focused on exploring the relationships between characters instead of jumping straight into preparing the scenes , which allowed us to establish detailed subtext . I think the final production truly conveyed the time we had spent working through every small detail . At first glance , Juliet may seem to be just an impulsive , naive 13-year-old , but I soon developed an unexpected admiration for her emotional strength and determination . I doubt most teenagers are able to be so brave as to completely trust their heart , even if it means defying the figures of authority in their lives .
OSS : The original plan was to perform the play en promenade to fully immerse the audience in the story and offer them a fresh perspective , a notable example of this being the audience joining Juliet on the balcony , looking down on Romeo .
MV : During the ball scene , having the audience as guests was really fun for me , because it made me feel like I truly was Juliet , and since I did not have any lines , I could just blend in and observe the audience ’ s reactions .
OSS : Another idea we incorporated into the play was having two Juliets to add a sense of memory and reflection .
MV : When observing Olivia , I found it really insightful because it allowed me to follow the arc of my character even when I wasn ’ t in the scene , and having Olivia ’ s presence when I was acting also let me add depth . Although the dynamic felt strange at first , I think it gave our production a unique edge .
OSS : Although the play was cancelled , we made good use of the work we put in in several ways . Firstly , the depth in which we explored our characters , their motivations and relationships will be incredibly useful for any future performance . Secondly , in the immediate aftermath of lockdown when we were unsure whether the play would be revived , we met in Zoom to rehearse and then record small extracts of the play . We began to explore the idea of more subtle acting for the screen and using the concept of video calls in the scenes . Despite the unfortunate circumstances , our hard work had been channelled into new aspects of performance .
MV : Transferring the scenes onto the screen was not as weird as I thought it would be , and I noticed that it actually pushed me to make my performance even more convincing .
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