I HAD A FEELING WE’VE BEEN MIS-SOLD THE STORY OF ROMEO AND JULIET. I HAD A FEELING THAT THE PLAY WAS DARKER, AND MORE FOREBODING THAN IN THE PRODUCTIONS I HAD SEEN, THAT THE TWO PROTAGONISTS WERE PROBLEMATIC, IF YOU LIKE, MORBID. WHEN I PERFORMED IN THE PLAY AT THE GLOBE THEATRE I FELT THAT THE STORY WAS HOWL FOR FEMINISM - WORKING ON THE PLAY FROM THE INSIDE, I HEARD A SEARING INDICTMENT ON WHAT SHAKESPEARE’S COMMUNITY WAS DOING TO ITS YOUNG GIRLS. HE MADE A BEAUTIFUL, BRILLIANT, VIBRANT HUMAN IN JULIET, WHO’S CUT DOWN AT THE MOMENT SHE BLOSSOMS.
WHEN I CAME TO DIRECT THE PLAY, I NOTICED IN THE PROLOGUE, IN THE FIRST FEW LINES OF THE PLAY, THAT SHAKESPEARE CONNECTS THE PROTAGONIST’S DEATH’S WITH THEIR PARENT’S BEHAVIOUR - “DOTH WITH THEIR DEATH, BURY THEIR PARENTS STRIFE” AND “WHICH BUT THEIR CHILDREN’S END [THE SUICIDES], NOUGHT COULD REMOVE [THEIR PARENTS WAR/TOXIC BEHAVIOUR]”. SO THE PARENTS WON’T AND PROBABLY CAN’T CHANGE, UNTIL THEIR CHILDREN DIE. THIS SPEAKS TO ME OF A TRAUMATISED SYSTEM.
“IT’S NOT AN AUTOMATIC OUTCOME OF LIVING IN THE WORLD THAT WE SHOULD BECOME DISCONNECTED. IT’S A PRODUCT OF A CERTAIN WAY OF LIFE AND A CERTAIN WAY OF PARENTING AND CERTAIN CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, WHERE IT BECOMES TOO PAINFUL TO STAY CONNECTED SO DISCONNECTION BECOMES A DEFENCE.” GABOR MATE.
I BELIEVE WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS PLAY HAS GENERALLY BEEN PREVIOUSLY PERCEIVED THROUGH A PATRIARCHAL LENS. A LENS WHICH DOESN’T NECESSARILY ENCOURAGE HOLDING ITS OWN SYSTEMS TO ACCOUNT. IT’S BEEN EASIER/MORE CONVENIENT TO BELIEVE THAT ROMEO AND JULIET KILL THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY LOVE EACH OTHER A BIT TOO MUCH - BECAUSE THEY ARE YOUNG AND THEREFORE EXTREME - RATHER THAT THEY ARE A PRODUCT OF A BRUTALISING ENVIRONMENT. IF YOU VIEW THE PLAY THROUGH A HOLISTIC LENS, WHICH I BELIEVE SHAKESPEARE DID, YOU START TO SEE THE CHILDREN AS A RESULT OF THE WORLD THEY LIVE IN. THAT THEY ARE A PRODUCT OF THEIR PARENTING, SOCIALISING AND ENVIRONMENT. THEREFORE, IF A 13 YEAR OLD GIRL KILLS HERSELF, AS JULIET DOES, AND IF A YOUNG MAN KILLS HIMSELF, AND OTHER’S, AS ROMEO DOES; WE START TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR DAMAGED MENTAL HEALTH IS A FORM OF PTSD, GENERATED BY THE TRAUMATISED SYSTEM THEY LIVE IN.
“THE REALITY IS THAT, IN EVERY CASE, MENTAL ILLNESS IS AN OUTCOME OF TRAUMATIC EVENTS.” GABOR MATE.
I BELIEVE SHAKESPEARE KNEW THAT SYSTEMS AND INDIVIDUALS ARE CONNECTED. WHAT THRIVES (OR DIES) ON A SOCIETAL LEVEL MANIFESTS ON A PERSONAL, DOMESTIC LEVEL. WE ARE AS SICK OR AS WELL AS OUR SYSTEMS. SO MY JUMPING OFF POINT WAS TO INVESTIGATE HOW THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SURVIVE IN AND MAKE SENSE OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT - WHERE THEY AREN’T PARENTED WELL, INDEED WHERE THEY ARE ABUSED. I’M ALSO EQUALLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE AROUND ROMEO AND JULIET - WHO ALSO HAVE NO INNER PARENT, OR USEFUL COMPASS TO GUIDE THEM. THESE CHILDREN ARE A PRODUCT OF A WARING ENVIRONMENT.. THESE PEOPLE ARE A PRODUCT OF SOCIETAL TRAUMA.
WE BELIEVE, LIKE WE DEDUCE SHAKESPEARE BELIEVES, BY HOLDING OUR SYSTEMS TO ACCOUNT AND APPRECIATING THE WAYS IN WHICH THINGS TRULY EXIST THAT WE CAN, AS SOCIETIES LEARN TO CHANGE, HEAL AND GROW. WE BELIEVE BY SHINING A LIGHT ON THE AGONISING REALITY THAT THESE CHILDREN NEED TO KILL THEMSELVES IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT A POSITIVE CHANGE IN THEIR PARENTS, PROMOTES THE IDEA THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SHIFT OUR PERSONAL AND INDEED SOCIETAL CONSCIOUSNESS.
- KIRSTY BUSHELL
