UNITED KINGDOM: BRAZILIAN STREET THEATRE GROUP PERFORM "ROMEU AND JULIETA" AT LONDON'S BANKSIDE GLOBE THEATRE

Record ID: 389739

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: BRAZILIAN STREET THEATRE GROUP PERFORM "ROMEU AND JULIETA" AT LONDON'S BANKSIDE GLOBE THEATRE
  • Date: 10th July 2000
  • Summary: LONDON, UK (JULY 10, 2000) (REUTERS -PERFORMANCE CLEARANCE FOR RESALE) VARIOUS, PERFORMANCE OF BALCONY SCENE FROM "ROMEU & JULIETA"
  • Embargoed: 25th July 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, UK
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA4TSKDO6YSVUQDJWC3NAWJ9DAE
  • Story Text: Shakespeare's tale of star crossed lovers is given a colourful twist by Brazilian street theatre troupe, Grupo Galpao. Their vibrant production "Romeu & Julieta", which is being performed at London's Globe Theatre, combines music and mime with a Portugese translation of the classic text.
    Over the last two decades, Grupo Galpao have turned low-budget street theatre into a dazzling spectacle, bringing their interpretations of classic works to the people of Brazil.
    Their repertoire includes the works of Shakespeare and Moliere as well as some of the greatest plays of their homeland. Although such plays are now often considered the preserve of well-educated theatregoers, when they were written they were a highly popular form of entertainment, something which Grupo Galpao emulate: "For us really it is an honour, a great please to be here in England, Shakespeareland, and in Shakespeare's house, really it is a performance that we and Gabriel Villela the director created for the streets, for open places, and acting it to people who frequently never go to theatre, the common people in Brazil and other countries also. I think in a certain way that we recreate, we try again, we discover a really popular route of Shakespeare's plays like Romeo and Juliet and for us it's fantastic to be here."
    They always perform in Portuguese, using faithful translations of the original texts, but this has not prevented their work from delighting a wide international audience.
    They have played all over the world and with their heady blend of mime and music, which draws strongly on their popular culture as well as the tradition of Commedia dell'Arte, language is no barrier.
    "Although he performance is is Portuguese and certainly the audience won't understand a lot of the jokes, I am sure that the performance is very clear with the pantomime and the music we use. And I think that really it will be a pleasure for the audience to hear the Portuguese sound. And of course English audience knows very well Shakespeare, and especially I believe, Romeo and Juliet, so I think the language of theatre has no boundaries."
    Although the group was formed over 18 years ago and has since gained a huge following in Brazil as well as international recognition, the company still struggles to find the money to create their shows. In fact, when making costumes for "Romeu & Juliet" they could not afford any dye for the fabric.
    Ever resourceful, they scraped paint from the walls of the old colonial house they use to rehearse, and used the pigment mixed with whitewash to make their own dyes! But they hope that their high-profile visit to The Globe theatre may help their financial situation: "I think that money is something very hard all over the world, especially in Brazil, especially in arts, we have a lot of problems, and I think really that this invitation we received from The Globe is very important for us because, of course our work is very recognised in Brazil, but an invitation like that helps us to be more and more recognised and to have more and more sponsors, and I think really this invitation is an honour for us."
    The presence of a large silver estate car, albeit flamboyantly decorated, may seem something of an anachronism, but is an integral part of the set.
    When the company tour at home, the whole set packs up into the car and the company can simply drive to their chosen location, whether it be a town square or a beach, reassemble their stage and perform to the crowd that gather round.
    "Romeu & Julieta" is at the Globe Theatre in London 11 - 23 July and at Manchester's Great Northern Square 27 - 29 July.
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