PEOPLE’S ROMEO
EDUCATION RESOURCE PACK
TARA, 356 Garratt Lane, London, SW18 4ES.
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PEOPLE’S ROMEO
EDUCATION RESOURCE PACK
Contents
Introduction
3
About TARA
4-5
From Pala Gaan to People’s Romeo
6-7
From Bangladesh to Britain
7
Shakespeare’s Life and Works
8
Romeo and Juliet – Background and Synopsis
9-10
Romeo and Juliet Main Characters
11-13
About Pala Gaan –
classroom activity
14-15
Speaking Shakespeare’s verse –
classroom activity
16
People’s Romeo a story of young love across cultural divides –
classroom activity
17
Would you like to have been an actor in Shakespeare’s day? –
classroom activity
18-19
You can be a Theatre Critic, writing about performance –
classroom activity
20
Join or our networks and follow the Tour in 2010
21
Production and Tour credits
22
Further Resources
23
Feedback form
24
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PEOPLE’S ROMEO
EDUCATION RESOURCE PACK
INTRODUCTION
This Education Resource Pack provides a unique insight into this
production of People’s Romeo to enable pupil and student audiences to gain a
deeper understanding of the play.
The Education Resource Pack is designed for National Curriculum teaching at
Key Stages 3 and 4 in English, Theatre Studies and Citizenship.
In TARA’s production Bangladeshi theatre breathes new life into the greatest
love story ever told, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Weaving together Shakespeare’s verse and Bengali poetry, People’s Romeo is a
dynamic cross-cultural performance made for our time. Five performers use
Pala Gaan – a theatre style which combines music, dance and storytelling - to
re-invent this classic of English theatre.
Please let us know if you have found this pack useful by filling in the
feedback form on the last page of the pack.
Introducing the Montague and Capulet households
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About TARA
TARA produces global theatre for
local audiences. Positioned
between East and West, TARA
has pioneered cross-cultural
theatre for over 3 decades.
What does TARA do?
The company tours vibrant adaptations of European and Asian classics and new
work, brings the great stories of the world to children in junior schools and, at
TARA Studio, develops emerging artists and new audiences. We have produced
work at the National Theatre, Trafalgar Square, the British Library and a host
of other theatres across Britain, Europe, and Asia.
Why?
On July 4th 1976, Gurdip Singh Chaggar, a 17-year old Sikh boy living in
Southall, fell victim to a racist murder. Out of the protests surrounding his
death, an Asian public presence emerged in Britain, with a variety of Asian
Youth Movements springing up in all the major British cities... and TARA.
When?
TARA was founded in 1977, by young Asians. It was the first Asian-led theatre
company to be formed in the UK.
TARA Studio
TARA Studio opened in 2007. The Studio regularly premieres new work from
emerging and established artists.
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“Tara’s work is a terrific synthesis of east and west.”
Sir Richard Eyre
“Tara has had an extraordinary journey from passionate student work inspired
initially by a racist murder in Southall to its present position firmly embedded
in the British national theatre scene. They have brought another sensibility
onto the scene, stretched British cultural life and helped to make those of us
with different origins visible to both ourselves and others.”
Naseem Khan, OBE
People’s Romeo UK in tour 2010.
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From Pala Gaan to People’s Romeo
A foreword from the Director
Discovering Pala Gaan
I first came across Pala Gaan at a chance encounter in Bangladesh and was
immediately attracted to its energetic storytelling and inclusion of the
audience. The popular storytelling form of Pala Gaan is immediate, fast paced
and hugely entertaining. As an audience member at my first Pala Gaan show, I
was struck by how involved I felt with the action on stage, it was an exciting
and visceral experience.
It was almost two years on from my first experience of Pala Gaan in Bangladesh
that I met Dilu Hossain in London. Dilu is performing in People’s Romeo and
trained as a Pala Gaan artist in Bangladesh before he moved to the UK. Finally I
had found an artist and performer who I could work with to create our first
Pala Gaan performance at TARA. As an experiment, we staged an open
rehearsal of Velua, a traditional folk tale from Bangladesh, at TARA Studio in
2008. Audiences were immediately seduced by the energy, music and clarity of
the central narrative, albeit performed in Bengali. At this moment it was clear
to me that the popularity of Pala Gaan theatre could easily migrate from the
East to the West, from Bangladesh to the UK.
Creating People’s Romeo
I have a great love of Shakespeare and interpreting his stories from different
cultural perspectives, so from the onset of our Pala Gaan adventure at TARA I
elected to stage Romeo and Juliet – the perfect tale for reinvention. Every
community has its Romeo and Juliet whether it be a rural village in Bangladesh
or a inner city school in Britain’s cities. It is a global story of family feuds and
earnest forbidden love. Shakespeare’s story transcends language and
nationality.
In People’s Romeo I aim to enlighten audiences by fusing Shakespeare’s verse
with the Pala Gaan style. I hope through Shakespeare’s verse and the bi-lingual
script, which will be performed in English and Bengali, to offer audiences a
new sense of the familiar story.
Over the past two years we have developed People’s Romeo, having nurtured
the Pala Gaan artists at TARA Studio in south London. I have assembled a cast
of Pala Gaan performers and musicians with British actors to blend
Shakespeare’s classic with Bangladesh’s most popular theatre.
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Audiences and People’s Romeo
I hope People’s Romeo will bring new audiences to appreciate Shakespeare
afresh: audiences from all backgrounds who until now may not have had the
opportunity to enjoy or relate to his plays.
Mukul Ahmed (Director)
From Bangladesh to Britain
Two cultural traditions fuse together from East and West in People’s Romeo.
Pala Gaan from the East in Bangladesh is blended with Shakespeare’s tragedy
from the West in Great Britain.
The flag of Bangladesh
The flag of Great Britain
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SHAKESPEARE’S LIFE AND WORKS
Year
Shakespeare’s Life
1564
1582
1583
Shakespeare Born
Shakespeare Married
Birth of daughter Susanna The Queen's Company formed
in London
Birth of twins, Judith and Hamnet
Departure from Stratford Establishment in London as an
actor/playwright
1585
1587-1592
1593
Continues to work in London as an actor and playwright
1594
1594-1596
Founding member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men
Prosperity and recognition as the leading London
playwright
Hamnet dies aged 11
Aged just 32 years old Shakespeare writes…..
1596
1597-1599
1599
Purchases New Place, Stratford.
The Globe Theatre built on Bankside.
Shakespeare is a shareholder and receives about
10% of the profits
1603
1600-1608
1608
The Lord Chamberlain's Men, now The
King's Men, perform at court more than any
other company
1601 Shakespeare's father dies
Shakespeare's mother dies
1609-1611
1609 Publication of the Sonnets
1623
April 23, 1616 Shakespeare dies and is buried at Holy
Trinity Church, Stratford
Works
The Comedy of Errors
Titus Andronicus
The Taming of the Shrew
Henry VI, 1,2,3
Richard III
Venus and Adonis
Begins writing the
Sonnets,probably completed by
c.1597 or earlier
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Love's Labour's Lost
The Rape of Lucrece
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Romeo and Juliet
Richard II
The Merchant of Venice
Henry IV,1,2
The Merry Wives of Windsor
As You Like It
Much Ado About Nothing
Henry V
Julius Caesar
Twelfth Night
Hamlet
Troilus & Cressida
Alls Well That Ends Well
Measure for Measure
Othello
King Lear
Macbeth
Antony and Cleopatra
Coriolanus, Timon of Athens
Pericles Prince of Tyre
Cymbeline
The Winter's Tale, The
Tempest
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ROMEO & JULIET - BACKGROUND & SYNOPSIS
BACKGROUND
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William
Shakespeare about two young "star-cross'd lovers" whose deaths ultimately
unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays
during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet and Macbeth, is one of his most
frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded
as archetypal young lovers.
SYNOPSIS
The play, set in Verona, begins with a street brawl between Montagues and
Capulets who are sworn enemies. The Prince of Verona intervenes and declares
that further breach of the peace will be punishable by death. Later, the
Capulets plan a ball to which they have invited Count Paris who – despite being
much older than the 13 year old Juliet – wishes to marry her. Lady Capulet and
Juliet’s Nurse try and persuade Juliet to accept Paris’ courtship.
Count Paris talks to Capulet about marrying his daughter, but Capulet is wary
of the request because Juliet is only thirteen. Capulet asks Paris to wait
another two years and invites him to attend a planned Capulet ball. Lady
Capulet and Juliet’s nurse try to persuade Juliet to accept Paris’s courtship.
Meanwhile, at the house of Montague, Benvolio talks with his cousin Romeo,
Lord Montague’s son, about Romeo’s recent depression. Benvolio discovers that
it stems from unrequited infatuation for a girl named Rosaline, one of
Capulet’s nieces. Persuaded by Benvolio and Mercutio, Romeo attends the ball
at the Capulet house in hopes of meeting Rosaline. However, Romeo instead
meets and falls in love with Juliet. After the ball, in what is now called the
“balcony scene”, Romeo sneaks into the Capulet courtyard and overhears Juliet
on her balcony vowing her love to him in spite of her family’s hatred of the
Montagues. Romeo makes himself known to her and they agree to be married.
With the help of Friar Laurence, who hopes to reconcile the two families
through their children’s union, they are secretly married the next day.
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Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, incensed that Romeo had sneaked into the Capulet ball,
challenges him to a duel. Romeo, now considering Tybalt his kinsman, refuses
to fight. Mercutio is offended by Tybalt’s insolence, as well as Romeo’s “vile
submission,” and accepts the duel on Romeo’s behalf. Mercutio is fatally
wounded when Romeo attempts to break up the fight. Grief-stricken and
wracked with guilt, Romeo confronts and slays Tybalt.
Montague argues that Romeo has justly executed Tybalt for the murder of
Mercutio. The Prince, exiles Romeo from Verona and declares that if Romeo
returns, “that hour is his last.” Romeo secretly spends the night in Juliet’s
chamber, where they consummate their marriage. Capulet, misinterpreting
Juliet’s grief, agrees to marry her to Count Paris and threatens to disown her
when she refuses to become Paris’s “joyful bride.” When she then pleads for
the marriage to be delayed, her mother rejects her.
Juliet visits Friar Laurence for help, and he offers her a drug that will put her
into a death-like coma for “two and forty hours.” The Friar promises to send a
messenger to inform Romeo of the plan, so that he can rejoin her when she
awakens. On the night before the wedding, she takes the drug and, when
discovered apparently dead, she is laid in the family crypt.
The messenger, however, does not reach Romeo and, instead, he learns of
Juliet’s apparent death from his servant Balthasar. Heartbroken, Romeo buys
poison from an apothecary and goes to the Capulet crypt. He encounters Paris
who has come to mourn Juliet privately. Believing Romeo to be a vandal, Paris
confronts him and, in the ensuing battle, Romeo kills Paris. Still believing Juliet
to be dead, he drinks the poison. Juliet then awakens and, finding Romeo
dead, stabs herself with his dagger. The feuding families and the Prince meet
at the tomb to find all three dead. Friar Laurence recounts the story of the two
“star-cross’d lovers”. The families are reconciled by their children’s deaths and
agree to end their violent feud. The play ends with the Prince’s elegy for the
lovers:
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
In People’s Romeo TARA re-invent the storytelling and focus on the central
relationship between Romeo and Juliet. The synopsis included here
provides the detailed story based upon Shakespeare’s original.
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ROMEO & JULIET - MAIN CHARACTERS
Romeo - The son and heir of Montague and Lady Montague. A young man of
about sixteen, Romeo is handsome, intelligent, and sensitive. Though impulsive
and immature, his idealism and passion make him an extremely likable
character. He lives in the middle of a violent feud between his family and the
Capulets, but he is not at all interested in violence. His only interest is love. At
the beginning of the play he is madly in love with a woman named Rosaline,
but the instant he lays eyes on Juliet, he falls in love with her and forgets
Rosaline. Thus, Shakespeare gives us every reason to question how real
Romeo’s new love is, but Romeo goes to extremes to prove the seriousness of
his feelings. He secretly marries Juliet, the daughter of his father’s worst
enemy; he happily takes abuse from Tybalt; and he would rather die than live
without his beloved. Romeo is also an affectionate and devoted friend to his
relative Benvolio, Mercutio, and Friar Lawrence.
Juliet - The daughter of Capulet and Lady Capulet. A beautiful thirteen-yearold girl, Juliet begins the play as a naïve child who has thought little about love
and marriage, but she grows up quickly upon falling in love with Romeo, the
son of her family’s great enemy. Because she is a girl in an aristocratic family,
she has none of the freedom Romeo has to roam around the city, climb over
walls in the middle of the night, or get into swordfights. Nevertheless, she
shows amazing courage in trusting her entire life and future to Romeo, even
refusing to believe the worst reports about him after he gets involved in a fight
with her cousin. Juliet’s closest friend and confidant is her nurse, though she’s
willing to shut the Nurse out of her life the moment the Nurse turns against
Romeo.
Friar Lawrence - A Franciscan friar, friend to both Romeo and Juliet. Kind,
civic-minded, a proponent of moderation, and always ready with a plan, Friar
Lawrence secretly marries the impassioned lovers in hopes that the union might
eventually bring peace to Verona. As well as being a Catholic holy man, Friar
Lawrence is also an expert in the use of seemingly mystical potions and herbs.
Mercutio - A kinsman to the Prince, and Romeo’s close friend. One of the most
extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeare’s plays, Mercutio overflows with
imagination, wit, and, at times, a strange, biting satire and brooding fervor.
Mercutio loves wordplay, especially sexual double entendres. He can be quite
hotheaded, and hates people who are affected, pretentious, or obsessed with
the latest fashions. He finds Romeo’s romanticized ideas about love tiresome,
and tries to convince Romeo to view love as a simple matter of sexual appetite.
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The Nurse - Juliet’s nurse, the woman who breast-fed Juliet when she was a
baby and has cared for Juliet her entire life. A vulgar, long-winded, and
sentimental character, the Nurse provides comic relief with her frequently
inappropriate remarks and speeches. But, until a disagreement near the play’s
end, the Nurse is Juliet’s faithful confidante and loyal intermediary in Juliet’s
affair with Romeo. She provides a contrast with Juliet, given that her view of
love is earthy and sexual, whereas Juliet is idealistic and intense. The Nurse
believes in love and wants Juliet to have a nice-looking husband, but the idea
that Juliet would want to sacrifice herself for love is incomprehensible to her.
Tybalt - A Capulet, Juliet’s cousin on her mother’s side. Vain, fashionable,
supremely aware of courtesy and the lack of it, he becomes aggressive, violent,
and quick to draw his sword when he feels his pride has been injured. Once
drawn, his sword is something to be feared. He loathes Montagues.
Capulet - The patriarch of the Capulet family, father of Juliet, husband of
Lady Capulet, and enemy, for unexplained reasons, of Montague. He truly loves
his daughter, though he is not well acquainted with Juliet’s thoughts or
feelings, and seems to think that what is best for her is a “good” match with
Paris. Often prudent, he commands respect and propriety, but he is liable to
fly into a rage when either is lacking.
Lady Capulet - Juliet’s mother, Capulet’s wife. A woman who herself married
young (by her own estimation she gave birth to Juliet at close to the age of
fourteen), she is eager to see her daughter marry Paris. She is an ineffectual
mother, relying on the Nurse for moral and pragmatic support.
Montague - Romeo’s father, the patriarch of the Montague clan and bitter
enemy of Capulet. At the beginning of the play, he is chiefly concerned about
Romeo’s melancholy.
Lady Montague - Romeo’s mother, Montague’s wife. She dies of grief after
Romeo is exiled from Verona.
Paris - A kinsman of the Prince, and the suitor of Juliet most preferred by
Capulet. Once Capulet has promised him he can marry Juliet, he behaves very
presumptuous toward her, acting as if they are already married.
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Benvolio - Montague’s nephew, Romeo’s cousin and thoughtful friend, he
makes a genuine effort to defuse violent scenes in public places, though
Mercutio accuses him of having a nasty temper in private. He spends most of
the play trying to help Romeo get his mind off Rosaline, even after Romeo has
fallen in love with Juliet.
Balthasar - Romeo’s dedicated servant, who brings Romeo the news of Juliet’s
death, unaware that her death is a ruse.
Sampson and Gregory - Two servants of the house of Capulet, who, like their
master, hate the Montagues. At the outset of the play, they successfully
provoke some Montague men into a fight.
Two feuding families, the Montague and Capulet
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About Pala Gaan
Pala Gaan evolved as a popular performance genre in the greater Mymensingh
district of East Bangladesh in the 16th century, at the time Shakespeare was
writing for the Globe Theatre in London.
The performance troupe in Pala Gaan typically consists of the bayati (Narrator)
and up to five choral singers/musicians dohars, who play traditional
instruments such as harmonium and dhol (drum) and dotara (stringed
instrument).
The bayati describes events of the narrative accompanied by the dohars playing
music and singing choral passages. As he sings, the bayati also dances and
enacts what is described in the song.
Interspersed between the lyrical passages are sections of improvised prose
rendered solely by the bayati but which respond to audience reaction.
The dynamic relationship between Pala Gaan artists and audiences stems
from the market squares of Bangladesh and is important in generating a direct
and informal engagement.
People’s Romeo captures this sense of live interaction and democracy between
the audience and performer.
Pala Gaan uses techniques of Alienation, in which the performers take
themselves out of character to speak directly to the audience. This style was
introduced to European theatre by Bertolt Brecht in Germany, who himself was
inspired by theatre from Asia.
The stage for Pala Gaan performances – the market square.
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Follow-up classroom activity
Imagine you are in a Pala Gaan performance. Using some of the Pala Gaan
techniques (storytelling, music and dance) how would you tell the story of the
family feuds in Romeo and Juliet? You might like to try some ideas out and
then perform an extract in the schools playground to imagine you are in a
market square in Bangladesh.
In Pala Gaan the bayati (Narrator) introduces
the play and tells the story.
In Pala Gaan the dohars
(musicians and singers),
create the atmosphere and
underscore the action.
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Speaking Shakespeare’s verse - classroom activity
Most characters in Shakespeare’s plays speak in a special rhythm.
It is a pattern that is also found in poetry, especially in a type of poem called a
sonnet.
The pattern is called an iambic pentameter. Speaking in the rhythm will help the
students understanding of Shakespeare’s meaning.
To work out what that means, let’s split the words up. The first bit - iamb - means
two beats, the first is light (or unstressed) and the second is heavy (stressed). It
sounds like dee-dum. Try clapping it. A light beat and a heavy beat. That’s iambic.
The next bit - pentameter - has pent in it. What else has got pent in it? Pentagon?
Pentangle? So you might have guessed that pentameter has something to do with five.
The next part is meter. Well a meter measures things, the gas maybe or the amount of
time you’ve paid to park the car. OK, so that gives us five measures of iamb.
What does that mean? Well, it’s 5 dee-dums. Clap the rhythm as you speak.
Dee-dum dee-dum dee-dum dee-dum dee-dum
Follow-up classroom activity
Try a conversation in iambic pentameter:
Come in, sit down and make a cup of tea
I don’t mind if I do, you’re very kind
Can you make up your own iambic pentameters?
Try speaking aloud this speech from Romeo and Juliet, you might find it helpful to
highlight the iamb…..
PRINCE
What, ho! you men, you beasts,
That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground,
And hear the sentence of your moved prince.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets:
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
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People’s Romeo a story of young love across cultural divides
People’s Romeo portrays the relationship between an Asian Romeo and a white
European Juliet. It shows the strength of their love for one another in spite of
the inability of their families to accept their relationship across the cultural
divides.
The play examines the destructive nature of the Montague and Capulet
families’ prejudices and the effects this has on their children.
In a thriving and in places disparate melting pot of cultures, this story in 21st
century Britain has a renewed topicality that is extraordinarily pertinent for
many families and young people across the country.
People’s Romeo tells the story of Romeo and Juliet from a fresh perspective
and seeks to engage theatre audiences, communities and young people with
Shakespeare.
FROM EAST
TO WEST
Follow-up classroom activity
In TARA’s production of Romeo and Juliet, People’s Romeo, Romeo is from the
East and Juliet is from the West. With a map of the world mark where your
parents where born. How many different countries do the students in your class
come from? What do you think it was like for them to settle in a new, strange
country?
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE BEEN AN ACTOR IN SHAKESPEARE’S DAY?
Classroom activity
Did you know that all the women in Shakespeare’s plays were played by young men or
boys? In People’s Romeo many of the male parts are played by the female actors.
Like Pala Gaan performances in the market squares of Bangladesh, Shakespeare’s
theatre, the Globe in London, was built with an open roof so it could get very chilly!
There were no electric lights or digital special effects. The scenery was very basic so
Shakespeare relied on his words to paint a picture for his audience.
When you were given your part to learn, it was written on a roll of parchment. It was
too time consuming to write out the whole play for each actor so you would just have
your own role written out (on a roll – get it!) You would learn your part and the cue,
which would be the last words spoken by the previous speaker, and you would have to
listen really carefully to what was being said to know when to speak.
There were about 26 actors in Shakespeare’s company at any time. They would have
been employed in several different plays, possibly performing two or three different
plays in the same week. Could you have learnt all those lines?
The audience could be as big as 2500 people. An actor needed a loud voice to project
the dialogue to the whole audience. If the Audience didn’t like what they saw they
would boo or pelt the stage with oranges but if they did like the performance they
would cheer and clap wildly.
The Groundlings where audience members who stood on the ground, often for 3 or 4
hours to watch the performance, they were very close to the actors on stage and
would often call out, like street theatre today or Pala Gaan shows in the market
squares.
Drawing of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London.
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Follow-up classroom activity
Imagine you are an actor in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. (You will have to
imagine you are all men or boys, sorry, but those male actors had to imagine they
were women, so you may have to pretend to be a man pretending to be a woman!)
Write a letter home explaining what part you play and what it’s like in Shakespeare’s
company.
In People’s Romeo, the actresses play male roles
here they are seen as Sampson and Gregory.
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YOU CAN BE A THEATRE CRITIC
Theatre Critics write about plays they have seen at the theatre, they write
reviews. These reviews often appear in newspapers such The Guardian, The
Times and The Independent.
WRITING ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE
Why does a director make certain choices? How do the lighting, costume and
set help to tell the story? Watch carefully and write notes after the play. These
questions will help you:
THE STAGE
Q: What can you see on the stage?
COSTUME
Q: What colours and styles are being used?
Q: What else do the costumes tell us about the characters?
LIGHTING
Q: What colours and shades of colour are being used?
Q: What levels of brightness are being used and why?
Q: When do the lights change?
THE PERFORMERS
Q: In this production of People’s Romeo, the actors double up their parts (see
the PRODUCTION & TOUR CREDITS page) When you watch the play, why do you
think the director chose to pair the characters in this particular way?
Remember there are both practical and thematic reasons.
Q; What role does the narrator play in helping to tell the story?
Q: How do actors vary their movement, gesture, facial expression to show they
are playing different roles?
Q: How do the actors use the set?
Q: How do the actors relate to the audience?
THE MUSIC
Q In this production of People’s Romeo music is used to highlight the drama
and create atmosphere. What did music make you think and feel?
AND LASTLY BUT MOST IMORTANTLY
Q: What does the play make you think, feel, want to talk about?
TARA, 356 Garratt Lane, London, SW18 4ES.
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8333 4457 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8870 9540 www.tara-arts.com
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PEOPLE’S ROMEO
EDUCATION RESOURCE PACK
Teacher and students can follow the production on tour across the UK and
find out more about TARA by joining our networks:
TARA_Arts
Tara Arts
See the trailer and audience reactions to People’s Romeo
http://www.youtube.com/user/UTara07
Tour Schedule 2010
Many of theatre’s have specially arranged Post Show discussions planned so that audiences can
meet the actors and ask direct questions about the production and performance.
Thurs 09 & Fri 10 Sep
TARA Studio, London
www.tara-arts.com
020 8333 4457
Tue 14 - Sat 18 Sep
Greenwich Theatre, London
www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk
020 8858 7755
Tue 21 - Sat 25 Sep
The Drum, Plymouth Theatre Royal
www.theatreroyal.com
01752 230 440
Tue 28 - Wed 29 Sep
Arena Thetare, Wolverhampton
www.arena.wlv.ac.uk
01902 321 321
Thurs 30 Sep
The Hawth Crawley
https://tickets.hawth.co.uk
01293 553 636
Fri 01 Oct
Asia House, London
www.asiahouse.org
020 7307 5459
Wed 6th - Sat 16th Oct Waterman's, London
www.watermans.org.uk
020 8232 1010
Mon 18 - Tues 19 Oct
Hull Truck, Hull
www.hulltruck.co.uk
01482 323 638
Thurs 21 Oct
Darlington Arts Centre
www.darlington.gov.uk/culture/arts
01325 486 555 22
Fri 22 Oct
The Drum, Birmingham
www.the-drum.org.uk
0121 333 2444
TARA, 356 Garratt Lane, London, SW18 4ES.
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8333 4457 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8870 9540 www.tara-arts.com
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PEOPLE’S ROMEO
EDUCATION RESOURCE PACK
PRODUCTION & TOUR CREDITS
Cast:
Delwar Hossain Dilu –
Romeo, Abraham, Lady Capulet,
Friar Laurence and Lead Narrator
Caitlin Thorburn –
Juliet, Samson, Prince, Lord Montague,
Tybalt, Friar Laurence and Narrator
Leesa Gazi -
Nurse, Gregory, Lady Montague, Benvolio
and Narrator
Sohini Alam -
Singer/Musician
Swagata Biswas –
Musician/Drummer
Director Mukul Ahmed
Designer Sophie Jump
Lighting Designer Howard Hudson
Production photographs by Richard Worts, www.dashdigital.biz
and Shanney Mulchanney.
Education advisor Helen Cadbury http://www.theatrestudy.com
Helen Cadbury is an education advisor and drama-in-education facilitator.
Through Theatre Study Helen has created Education Resource Packs for TARA’s
productions of The Tempest, Bully Richard, Sailing to Britain and The Black
Album. We gratefully acknowledge Helen’s work in the creation of these
previous resource pack.
With thanks to:
TARA, 356 Garratt Lane, London, SW18 4ES.
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8333 4457 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8870 9540 www.tara-arts.com
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PEOPLE’S ROMEO
EDUCATION RESOURCE PACK
FURTHER RESOURCES
We want to encourage students and teachers to learn more about Eastern and
Western theatre traditions and Shakespeare. Below are some suggestions to
help further the research and learning.
Weblinks
http://www.tara-arts.com (includes news and information about the company
and our current shows, archive information about previous shows and a
downloadable version of this pack and packs from previous shows)
The following websites provide useful information but please note: Tara Arts is not
responsible for their content or availability.
http://teachit.co.uk has several lesson plans and schemes of work for teaching The
Tempest in the English curriculum
http://www.penguinclassics.co.uk Teacher’s Guide to the Tempest including
detailed synopsis and imaginative preparation activities.
Shakespeare dictionary and glossary of terms
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/3989-shakespearean-glossary
Books
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, various editions.
Romeo and Juliet - Spark Notes useful back material for study of the play
Films
Romeo and Juliet (1996) Directed by Baz Luhrmann. Starring Leonardo Di
Caprio, Claire Danes, John Leguizamo
Romeo and Juliet (1968) Directed by Franco Zeffirelli, narrated by Laurence
Olivier
Shakespeare – The Animated Tales (1992) British- Russian co-production, excellent
animation and accessible telling of the stories. Available from the National Theatre
Bookshop and various online retailers.
TARA, 356 Garratt Lane, London, SW18 4ES.
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8333 4457 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8870 9540 www.tara-arts.com
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PEOPLE’S ROMEO
EDUCATION RESOURCE PACK
FEEDBACK FORM
If you have found this pack useful as an introduction to the production,
please take a moment to give us your feedback.
What course are your students studying (level/examining body?)
Which sections did you use with your students before seeing the play?
Which sections did you use with your students after seeing the play?
Was the level of this pack appropriate for your students?
Is there any other information you would have liked to enhance your
students’ experience of seeing this production?
Any other comments?
Please return TARA at the address below
TARA, 356 Garratt Lane, London, SW18 4ES.
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8333 4457 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8870 9540 www.tara-arts.com
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