How effectively has the exposition of 'Romeo and Juliet' been transformed for a modern audience?

The first 200 words of this essay...

How effectively has the exposition of 'Romeo and Juliet' been transformed for a modern audience?

Richard Eyre has aimed to engage with a modern audience in this production. The subject matter (love) suits all audiences. It is something we can all relate to - any age, any culture, any period. However, Richard Eyre has tried to make this play appeal more to a modern audience in this audio-tape prduction. There are several ways in which he has tried to do this. It was probably meant to be played in schools, with most rude lines missed out. The fact that there is no visual image means that pupils can concentrate more on the words of the play, and understand their meaning, rather than just watching the actions of the play.

The first thing we hear on the tape, before the prologue, is people coughing. This implies that somebody is in trouble, and creates a sense of violence and also a bit of mysters - why are people coughing? Then we hear the words of the prologue. The man speaking is a Londoner. People would have wanted to speak like the capital of their country in these days.