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Love will tear us apart
‘YOU CAN'T UNDERRATE HOW MUCH IN LOVE YOU CAN FEEL IN ADOLESCENCE'
Steve Cramer talks to Kevin Lennon about love, adolescence and violence in Dundee Rep’s production of Romeo and Juliet
} eomparixon to Shakexpeatex other great
ll'agt‘tllt‘x. lllL‘l‘L‘ix ll L‘L‘l'lalli \iililillllL‘xx till the
part ol' lilerar) eritiex ahout Romeo um/ .lll/lt’l. ('erlainl} il’x earl} work. and xhoux a certain immaturit}. hill doex it eonxlattll} need to he eonipared unla\ourahl} to the ‘great tragediex‘fi’ ()ne undeniahle xtrength ol' the pla} ix itx hankahilit}: e\idenee xuggextx that it \\;lx one ol~ Shakexpeare‘x moxl l‘erl‘ormed Na» in the hard‘x onn lil‘etime and il remainx ax popular ax e\ er. heing produced in theatre and film more l‘retluentl} than hix more eognoxeenti appro\ ed \xorkx.
'l‘he p|a_\‘x enduring appeal ix perhapx due to the \xa} in \\hieh it can create a eertain unixerxal empath) in itx audienee. \Ve ma) he ahle to relate on .xome le\el to the tale ol' an old man \xho di\idex hix \xeallh hetueen l\\o ungratel‘ul daughterx. lea\ ing out the third. more lo_\al ehild: or a man in a pri\ileged poxition killing hix hoxx to heeome lx'ing ol‘ Seotland; or an elhnieall) marginalixed man who xlranglex hix \\ ile in a lit ol' irrational jealoux}. But nothing xpeakx
xo pouerlull} to audieneex ax the l‘eeling ol
adolexeenl |o\ e. ll. _\ou ha\en‘l endured an_\ ol‘ the l‘ormer eqwrieneex. it‘x hard to imagine _\ou'\ e made it to _\our lex \\ ithout e\perieneing the latter. “e lo\ e Romeo and ./ll/lt'l heeauxe \\ e'\ e all heen there.
lx'ex in l.ennon. an aeeomplixhed _\oung aetor \\ ith a xtrong reeord ol‘ xueeexx at Dundee Rep and el.xe\\ here ix taking on the part ol‘ Romeo. and ix prepared to he x}mpathetie to hix eharaeter. hut not \xilhout a eertain \xartx‘n‘all inxight. lle notex Romeo'x eapaeit} to turn on an emotional xi\penee: ‘\\'ell. he'x \er_\ ehangeahle. ax \\ e ol‘len are at that
86 THE LIST. ~ i- :
age.‘ he xa_\x. '.-\l the heginning ol' the pla) he'x oh\ ioux|_\ \er_\ \\ rapped up \\ ith the idea ol' Roxalind.
and that xeemx to he all he’x thinking ahout. But later
he l‘eelx thix thing l‘or .luliel.'
"lihe point ix he'x ahxolule. heeauxe he'x that age he l'eelx reall_\ paxxiolialel} in loxe \xith her \\ e tend to he like that al that age. You can't underrale him mueh in lo\ e _\ou ean l‘eel in adolexeenee.‘
l-'or l.ennon. though. it'x ax mueh ahout general grouing painx. and the need to extahlixh )our identil} at a certain age. ax it ix ahout lo\ e. ‘I think the idea ol rehelling againxt the parentx ix a hig part ol it. .luliet tltlL‘\ L‘\LlL‘ll} \\ll;ll llL‘l' [Mll't‘llh (lilllil \\;llil llL‘l' lit tll). and at that age. )oting people tend to uanl to axxert themxel\ex againxt their parentx. Romeo ax \\ ell doexn‘t ha\ e a great xenxe ol eommunieation \xith hix lather the} don‘t xpeak \er_\ direeth.‘
l’arl ol' the modern legae} ol' the pla}. and xomething that xeemx to ring true ahout the piece in the poxl\\ar era. ix itx depielion ol' gang \iolenee. \xhether through itx inuxieal Itialillexiaiinli. lli'xl Sit/e Shirt or Ba/ l.uhrmann'x Ullx l'ilm \erxion. l.ennon xeex lhix production ax ha\ing a dil'l‘erent emphaxix. ‘\\'ell. I think gang eullure might eome into it. There \xax a xenxe ol' that in the Ba/ l.urhmann lilm. uhieh \\ ax lerrilie. hut there‘x alxo a lot ahout l'amil} in the pla_\. The people \\llt)\L‘ ll\ex \\ e xL‘L‘ tlL‘xll'ti} ed it} the traged} are the memherx ol Romeo and .luliet'x lamiliex. But ol‘ eourxe that xenxe ol' a need to helong to xomething higger among _\oung people pl;i_\x a part.‘
Dundee Rep, Sat 8-Sat 29 Mar.
UST >l<
THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE
* Static Dan Rebellato's new play sees Suspect Culture combine with Graeae in a story of love and music which reaches beyond the grave. Graham Eatough's ingenious production sees some strong performances combine with familiar tunes to add real power to proceedings. See page 88. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 7 Mar
t Waiting For Godot Guy Hollands' production of Samuel Beckett's classic retains both the comic and existential impact of the original. With outstanding performances from Gerry Mulgrew and Kevin McMonagle in the leads. this looks like a good night out. See page 89. Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow, until Sat 8 Mar
1 Matthew Bourne’e Nutcracker! That terrible infant of contemporary and classical dance returns with this highly acclaimed but decidedly unorthodox new version of an old favourite. See page 87. Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tue ll-Sat 13 Mar 1 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Northern Ballet theatre's much admired contemporary ballet version of Shakespeare's classic contains all the joy, sensuality and humour of the original, and some lush visuals to boot. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 5—Sat 8 Mar
* Romeo and Juliet Dundee Rep gear up for a favourite among Shakespearean classics, this time with Kevin Lennon and Hannah Donaldson in the leads. See left. Dundee Rep, Sat 8—Sat 29 Mar, then touring.
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