A New Testament of Romeo and Juliet staged in Dhaka

A scene from the play

Swabdabali Group Theatre, a troupe from Barisal, staged A New Testament of Romeo and Juliet recently at the Mahila Samity Stage.

The presentation of Shakespeare's classics with a new approach is a popular genre in global theatre. Most of the European directors have staged Shakespearean plays with a unique interpretation. Director of A New Testament of Romeo and Juliet, Saidur Rahman Lipon, said, "What is the relevance of staging Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet today in Bangladesh? The main focus of the tragedy is the social barrier that comes in the way of love. The theme has universal appeal. If we present Romeo and Juliet as per the text of Shakespeare, the Bangladeshi audience may not receive the universal message. It would be closer home for them to see familiar characters delivering the same message. Moreover, we have raised a few questions on secularism."

Playwright Simon Zakaria has added new characters and sequences to familiarise the audience with the play. Simon said, "A New Testament of Romeo and Juliet is the output of our teamwork. I have drawn from the philosophies of Rabindranath Tagore, Lalon Shah, Durbin Shah and my own interpretation for the play. That is why the title of the play is A New Testament of Romeo and Juliet."

Wasim Hawlader performed in the role of Romeo while Nabila Nasrin enacted the role of Juliet.