Romeo and Juliet being staged at old Soviet Factory in Ukraine

Ukraine: Ivano-Frankivsk theatre in Ukraine has reinvented William Shakespeare‘s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, staging it in the industrial halls of an old Soviet factory.

Spectators are given hard hats and a map to navigate through the factory’s workshops and onto the theatre’s basement before the performance starts. The audience follows the actors through different locations as the performance unfolds, watching from different angles.

Head of Ivano-Frankivsk drama theatre and director of Romeo and Juliet, Rostyslav Derzhypilsky gives Shakespeare’s story a modern twist. Instead of the opening scene of a ball at the Capulet’s house, Romeo meets Juliet in a nightclub. Derzhypilsky said he wanted the performance to have a ‘post-apocalyptic’ feel.

“This location is extremely difficult. But it perfectly fits to illustrate the collision of spirituality, faith, and the love of Romeo and Juliet and the world that surrounds them,” said  Derzhypilsky.

Oleh Panas, an actor who plays Romeo, said he was discouraged when he saw the improvised factory stage for the first time. Panas said, “On one hand, the location swallows the actor, it is hard not to get lost inside this colossal setting,” adding, “But on the other hand, (it) adds value to the performance concept and to the actor’s emotions. A cold, massive area, stairs – all these elements strengthen an actor’s feelings.”