Gin and fruit cocktail for Bard’s love classic
Romeo and Juliet fans are in for a summer treat with two shows of Shakespeare’s classic — Gin Wigmore stars in Baz Luhrmann’s production at The Civic this weekend before the Pop-up Globe begins its season next Friday.
Wigmore, who is expecting her second child, has returned to New Zealand from Palm Springs for the sumptuous Luhrmann show. A 30 piece orchestra, full choir and rock band has been assembled for the Civic performances, which also features Jon Toogood of Shihad, Laughton Kora, Milan Borich from Pluto, Dave Gibson of Elemeno P and the soprano Isabella Moore.
Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet recast Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy with a chart-topping soundtrack blending grunge, dance, classical, opera and girl-power tracks. The 1996 adaptation of the 16th century drama starred a young Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Wigmore remembers it well: “It was my first introduction to Shakespeare, and one that made me so enamoured with the thoughts and ideas of passion, desire and love at all costs.”
She had a teenage crush on DiCaprio: “Let’s be honest, I think all teenage girls at the time this movie came out quite fancied Mr DiCaprio as their own personal Romeo. I know I sure had a million posters on my wall to prove my love for him.”
The uncompromising musician, who runs a hotel with her partner in Palm Springs, is playing a series of shows over summer. For the Civic show, Wigmore plays an angelwinged tattooed version of the Danes’ Juliet and performs four songs with Laughton Kora.
The Pop-up Globe version next week gives the play a different twist.
The cast will dress as fruit — or in fruit-themed costumes — for the Capulet ball scenes early in the play. It’s designed to give audiences a different interpretation of the romantic drama, which, claims Popup Globe artistic director Dr Miles Gregory, is shot through with comedy.
“Romeo and Juliet ends as a tragedy but, I would say, much of it is comedy.
“It looks as if everything will work out, everyone will be happy and we will move from chaos to order with it all ending in a marriage but instead we get something different,” he says.
Expect to see rising Aussie star Darcy Kent wearing a bright yellow banana costume while Jess Hong, taking on her biggest live role to date, dresses as a giant strawberry.
“When they said Romeo, not in any universe did I realise I would be wearing a banana suit,” says Kent.
“Well, I’m absolutely stoked. I always wanted to play some sort of seeded berry,” says Hong.