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The world’s favourite love story deals with the greatest universals of love and hate, life and death, order and disorder.
This production is suitably set in 1930’s Shanghai, an exotic city rife with corruption, glamour, wealth and opportunity, where the struggle for power amongst the business elite creates a volatile and violent backdrop to this enduring love story.
The main action takes place in Verona, a district in the Italian concession of the International Trading settlement in Shanghai. East opposes West with the portrayal of the Montague and Capulet families as respective Chinese and British opium merchants and major business rivals. Across this race divide Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague meet! |
I am Romeo - the star-crossed lover!
My first opportunity, since Drama School, to flex my Shakespeare muscles … and what an opportunity!
This original and exciting production was co-produced by the Haymarket Basingstoke and the multi-award winning British East-Asian Theatre Company, Mu-Lan.
 A first ever performance of one of Shakespeare’s plays by a predominantly Anglo-Chinese cast, it’s unique setting gave me the chance to work with a group of actors I had never worked with before… and may never again.
As if this opportunity wasn’t enough (!), I was able to commute daily to the Haymarket, allowing me to return from ‘Shanghai’ each night to the comfort of my own bed! The train journey to and from London also provided quality time to study my lines!
After four weeks at the Haymarket the entire cast and crew were transported to the Jersey Opera House for a final week of performances.
We arrived on the island with an array of complementary reviews from the local press, so we hoped to finish our run on a high.
But what would Jersey make of ‘our’ Romeo & Juliet? A conversation with a local resident filled me with confidence; if we received a favourable review in the Jersey Evening Post we would have a success on our hands. The kiss of death! “Passion and love, wherefore art thou?” was the chosen headlining critique! An unfortunate end to an otherwise enjoyable and productive experience. That’s theatre for ya!!
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“A refreshing take on the star-crossed lovers … Simon Greiff’s Romeo is suitably sensitive and fiery in all the right places”
Basingstoke Gazette
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“An experiment that has proved it’s worth … notable performances include Simon Greiff as Romeo”
The Stage
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“Shakespeare looses nothing in Shanghai … Simon Greiff and Bronwyn Mei Lim make an appealing pair of lovers”
Reading Evening Post
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“Superb acting ensures the wit and humour is not lost in the understanding”
Advertiser
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“Refreshing Romeo goes East … this performance is a masterpiece … an exceptionally refreshing and exhilarating version … Simon Greiff is the epitome of the passionate and romantic tragic hero”
The Herald
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