Mirror
Magazine 
|
||||
Doubling
up Anuruddha Fernando, the assistant director, who also plays Friar Lawrence says of his role, he is the father figure to Romeo as the Nurse is the mother figure to Juliet. But his well-meaning advice inadvertently set off a series of events, which culminate in the deaths of the young lovers. “This ambiguous role gives me the opportunity to explore the entire gamut of emotions,” says Anuruddha. Speaking to Wanda Godlieb, the Nurse, one is able to immediately create a mental image, of the close bond between herself and her “little baby.” Although not Juliet’s biological mother, the nurse stepped into her role almost immediately and has remained her closest friend. An emotional character, the Nurse is most often ruled by her heart and not by her head, with regards to Juliet. Therefore, she too could have done or not done many a thing, to avoid the tragic end of the lovers. And finally, the Romeos and Juliets share with us their experiences on the set of a timeless love story… Swasha Perera, the first of the pair of Juliets explains how the two portrayals of the Juliets differs according to their personalities. She plays the more mature, ‘ladylike’, intense, yet innocent, Juliet, as opposed to the mischievous portrayal of the other. The real ‘arty’ type, who loves to paint, read and dance, she was also very headstrong and knew exactly what she wanted in life. This is exemplified when she instantly recognised her ideal partner, in Romeo, at their first meeting. She would also always weigh the pros and cons of any decision she was to take, excluding that of marrying Romeo, however. Even at a point when practically everyone was against her, she acted very rationally by opting to seek counsel from the Friar, prior to making her next move. Even after obtaining the vial of “distilled liquor” from the Friar, she contemplates the gravity of her actions, because after all she was going to feign death. The only time she let her emotions rule her was when she decides to take her own life when she sees Romeo dead beside her. Manoj Singanayagam, one of the two Romeos speaks up next. Our depiction of Romeo is pretty similar, he says, since Romeo is quite a straightforward role to play. In crux “Romeo is in love with the concept of being in love,” says Manoj. His character progressed from one of a typical ‘play boy’ to that of one who has fallen madly in love, for the first time in his life. He initially tries to win Juliet over using some of his trademark ploys of flowery words and sweet nothings, completely oblivious to Juliet’s partiality towards him. However, he soon realises that his usual ploys won’t work with Juliet and that he should just be honest and straightforward with her. His impulsiveness and rashness is what leads to his eventual downfall. He just gets caught up in the moment, and acts without giving a thought to the consequences of his deeds. “Initially, it was very hard acting romantic with the two Juliets as they were both my good friends. But, now we just play off each others’ emotions and energy, so it works out quite well,” says Manoj. Shanuki de Alwis, also playing Juliet, brings out the lighter, more childlike side to her character. She puts aside all her family loyalties, future stability and possible happiness with Paris, to be with Romeo. She even initiates the first kiss and suggests that the couple should wed. Her true self is brought out only when she’s with Romeo and possibly with the Nurse, because with them she doesn’t have to live up to any expectations. “The story highlights the universal message of being free to love whoever you want to love,” she says. In a matter of three hours, you’ll see Juliet transform from a child to a woman. The last of the foursome is Marsh Dodanwela, the other Romeo. Having come to an agreement on how the general character of Romeo should be played, they both seem to capitalise on their strengths, says Marsh. Whilst Manoj is better at the comic side of Romeo, Marsh finds Romeo’s more passionate, volatile side, to be his forte. Romeo’s basically a spoilt little rich kid, who has everything money can buy, good looks and good friends. So much so, that he’s completely bored with his life thus, is leading a life of disillusion and is steadily on the path to self-destruction. Which is why him falling so deeply in love in a matter of hours comes as such a surprise. He finds it difficult to see past his emotions and usually follows a narrow line of thought, right up to its logical conclusion. Whilst giving into his own instincts, he becomes a victim of his own rage. But, as he consciously made each of his decisions, he can’t blame anybody else for his destruction. He genuinely tries to be a better man for Juliet’s sake but eventually fails to overcome his many flaws. Adding so many dimentions to their portrayals, in a short span of three hours, these characters will take the audience through a lifetime of love, laughter and tears. Jointly presented by Yes FM and Mobitel (Main Sponsor), with Golden Key as Co-Sponsors, HP&S Advertising (Pvt) Ltd. coming in as the official advertising agency R&J opens on October 1 at the Lionel Wendt. Tickets will be available at the Wendt from tomorrow. The costumes are by Sonali White. The official print media sponsors are the Daily Mirror and The Sunday Times. |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
