Shakespeare & Radiohead Balet ‘Radio & Juliet’ Coming to Zagreb
- by croatiaweek
- in Entertainment
(photo: Press)
A completely different take on one of the most famous love stories is coming to Zagreb next month…
If you want to see how a ballet of Shakespeare’s most famous works, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, set to the music of popular British band Radiohead, then head to Vatroslav Lisinski concert hall in Zagreb on 20 April 2016.
Zagreb will play host to ‘Radio and Juliet’ in April. ‘Radio and Juiet’ is an hour-long ballet created directed by Romanian dancer and choreographer Edward Clug. The ballet is a rendition of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set to the music of Radiohead. Since 2005 Radio and Juliet has guested in the Netherlands, Italy, Singapore, Korea, Israel, Canada, United States, Russia, Ukraine and Brazil. It has also been set on the companies of Bucharest National Theater and Kiev National Opera.
Noted for the ballet’s choreography and simplicity, Radio and Juliet represents a modernized interpretation of Shakespeare. As stated by Edward Clug, “You could call this quite a twisted version… My intention was not to retell the story but offer the audience an experience from a different perspective.”
The entire score of the ballet are songs performed by Radiohead. Most of the music is taken from albums OK Computer and Kid A. The robotic voice from the album OK Computer matches the robotic choreography and is used for a solo by Juliet. The ballet uses 11 Radiohead songs including “Fitter Happier,” Bullet Proof (I Wish I Was),” “Idioteque,” “How to Disappear,” and “Like Spinning Plates.” The songs are used to create an atmosphere. The lyrics sometimes match the scene that is taking place like “Bullet Proof I Wish I Was” during Mercutio’s death scene. The song lyrics reinforce the fundamental element of the love story, struggling with relationships, however, the music is more important to the story as Edward Clug says, “There are moments when the story meets the lyrics, but that was not really the point. It’s the overall emotion they create in their music.”
