For centuries, audiences have loved the tragic romance of Romeo and Juliet, but this week Mysterious Entity brings the world’s most famous love story to the Peterborough stage in a new and exciting way with Romeo and Juliet: Superstar Ice Miners of Europa.
Adapted by Kate Story and directed by Em Glasspool, this imaginative version places the two star-crossed lovers in the far-flung future. Borrowing elements from science fiction staples such as Flash Gordon, Barbarella, Firefly, Dune, Star Wars, 1984 and The Hunger Games, this version is not only a lot of fun but stays remarkably close to William Shakespeare’s original source.
The result is a highly visual and enjoyable piece of theatre.
Mysterious Entity takes you to a time and place far away from our own, to the Jupiter moon of Europa where two rival companies, The Montys and The Caps, mine the moon’s surface for Earth’s most valuable resource: water. The exploits and trials of the miners are transmitted back to Earth as a reality television series where the miners are deemed celebrities. Each night the miners end their day by going to the only bar on the moon, where they drink and feud at the audience’s delight.
When a new miner named Juliet who works for The Caps catches the eye of The Montys mining superstar Romeo, things start heating up on Europa — making ratings go through the roof.
There are so many elements that make this production a treat that it’s almost impossible to point them all out in a single review.
Kate Story, who also plays the role of “The Prince” (both the bar owner and the producer of the reality show) has created an extremely original and intelligent adaptation of a story that we’ve all seen done a million times before. She has amalgamated characters, turned scenes on their head, and shortened the script greatly; still, it’s unquestionably Romeo and Juliet.
Em Glasspool (who also performs in the role of Paris) directs a fabulous company of players that brings Shakespeare’s characters to life in an alien background. The cast includes Ryan Kerr as Tybalt, Taylor Beatty as Mercutio, Dianne Latchford as “Barkeep” Laurence, Hilary Wear as MAB (Multi Access Bio Network) and, in the leads, Kenn Gibb as Romeo and Sarah McNeilly as Juliet.
Each actor gives a standout performance, making Glasspool’s space opera come alive in a memorable show that will stick with the audience.
Kenn Gibb excels at being charming; anyone who has seen him on the stage knows this. So he’s a natural when it comes to playing Romeo. Sheepish, dreamy, and a total romantic, he has a puppy-dog appeal as he foolishly falls in love with Juliet — despite knowing that the cameras are watching and that consorting between The Caps and The Montys is not allowed. Gibb gives a passionate performance, filled with lots of boyish charm, and proves a likeable hero with a tragic ending.
Sarah McNeilly turns the role of Juliet on its head in a surprising interpretation of the character. Gone is the naive and gooey-eyed ingénue from the Shakespeare original. Instead, she’s replaced by a confident and independent grown woman who’s more in control of her situation than the traditional Juliet character. McNelly gives a strong and sexy performance with her original version of Juliet — a welcome change to what we’ve seen before.
One of the most fantastic elements of the show is the incredible costumes created by Kate Story. Combining the modness of Barbarella with the steampunk of Firefly, the costumes are a triumph that add to the strong visual experience of the production.
Whatever your plans are for this weekend, if going to Romeo and Juliet: Superstar Ice Miners of Europa isn’t included then you’re making a mistake. This is one of the coolest productions I have ever seen on the Peterborough stage. Entertaining, clever, intelligent, and performed to perfection, the greatest tragedy of this production will be if you miss it.
Romeo and Juliet: Superstar Ice Miners of Europa runs from Wednesday, November 5th to Sunday, November 9th at The Theatre on King at 159 King Street, Suite 120 in Peterborough (entrance is around the back). The show starts at 8 p.m., except for the Sunday matinee at 1 p.m. Tickets are $15 or pay what you can at the door.
