Romeo and Juliet Find New Stage In Factory In Ukraine

The story of Romeo and Juliet came to life in a Soviet factory in Ukraine.

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

Before the play begins, interested spectators are given hard hats and a map to navigate through the factory’s workshops and on to the theatre’s basement.The map also helps the audience follow the actors through different locations as the performance unfolds, watching from different angles.

Head of Ivano-Frankivsk drama theatre, Rostyslav Derzhypilsky thought to give the play a twist and script the first scene at a club instead of the a ball at the Capulet’s house.

“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,” Derzhypilsky said

The actor who plays Romeo, Oleh Panas, said he was daunted when he saw the improvised factory stage for the first time. He expressed how the stage swallows the actor but adds value to the performance concept and to the actor’s emotions.