Richard Eyre starts the production in the same way as in the text, with a chorus entering and reading the introduction to the play. However, the first noise we hear (before the chorus enters), is the sound of a man coughing. This coughing noise suggests suffering, pain, violence and an element of mystery to the tale. The coughing then dies away, but as the chorus reads his lines, we hear tense-sounding music in the background. This cold, chilling music is also trying to suggest an air of mystery, builds up tension and suspense.
The start of the first act is a street scene, which develops into a fight between the Montague and Capulet families. The producer has added the tradition sound church bells ringing, mixed with the modern sound of Italian mopeds whizzing around in the background. This lets us know that it is early in the morning, as Italy is a very religious country so there would be a service every morning, and that it is set in a busy Italian street. We can then hear the clunking of bottles, letting us (the audience), know that the people speaking are servants, the type of people doing such a menial task. However, the main reason the audience can recognise the type of people that are speaking is by the clever use of accents.
Accents have been used heavily in this production to show the class of the characters. Eyre has given the maids and servants in this film rather common accents, which lets us know their class. However, there is quite a distinct different between the accents of, for example, Samson and Gregory (servants), and Juliet’s nurse. The accents of Samson and Gregory are very much a modern-day common London accent, that found on hit BBC TV soap Eastenders. This shows them to be somewhat ‘yobs,’ Juliet’s (ex) wet nurse on the other hand, has been given an accent typical of the Elizabethan accent of Shakespeare’s day, still heard in counties such as Devon, Cornwall and Norfolk today. This makes her sound common but more warm and heartly.
Back to the start of the first act, Samson and Gregory are talking, in which they use a lot of sexual puns and word play. Eyre has edited the clever puns and word plays out and cut straight to the rude and sexual jokes. This has been done to good effect, as it makes it more relevant to today’s audience. Also, because the word plays that may have been ‘side-splittingly’ hilarious in Shakespeare’s day, would barely lift more than a smile on the faces of an audience today, as they lack the contemporary relevance that the listener would find humorous.
For example, in 1(1), lines XXX to XXX Samson and Gregory are carrying coal. The jokes they are making about colliers would not be understood very well by today’s audience, so the producer has changed them to carrying bottles around, still making them seem like servants, but perhaps this could be for the party that happens later on in this act.
During the fight scene, Eyre has changed the swords to knives. This makes the production more modern, as knives are commonplace amongst thieves in inner-city areas today, but the only place you could find a sword would be in a museum.
From line 160 to the end of first scene, the director hasn’t changed anything, and there is no background noise, letting us enjoy it a piece of Shakespeare on its own. This has been done to highlight the significance of the words without spoiling the modern-day relevance of the story.
On the transition between 1(1) and (2), some very traditional music enters. It starts of quite sad, reflecting the troubles with Romeo and his unrequited love; however it does seem to get jollier and happier as the street sounds enter. This is quite a clever contrast, as in the first scene Romeo seems all upset, but in the second scene he forgets about Rosaline and meets Juliet, at which point he is more cheerful.
At the beginning of 1(4), the producer has edited out the first few lines and gone straight in at line fourteen. These lines are mainly difficult to comprehend Shakespearean jokes, and is another good example of the producer’s clever editing technique to give it more contemporary relevance to today’s audience.
Between lines 53-95, 1(4), Mercutio is telling his friends of a dream he had once had. Eyre has chosen to give him an Irish accent in this play. This shows the ‘coolness’ of Mercutio, as many of today’s popular music acts come from Ireland, and also the Irish are known for spinning out a story, and this rather odd tale he talks of here is hardly believable, so this act by the producer makes it seem more plausible.
In 1(5) 106, the word ‘thine’ in the text has been changed to ‘yours’. This is a good choice as it makes the words easier to listen to and more flowing. When placed in a modern day context ‘thine’ sounds too artificial and mannered for a conversation at a party between the two main characters in this play; Romeo and Juliet. Artificial is exactly what we don’t want Romeo and Juliet to sound, as it prevents the audience from empathising with them.
Overall, I would say that Richard Eyre does a good job of adapting the play for radio. I feel that he did not want to make it a Shakespearean piece, nor a completely modern version, and would have thought that this would compromise the overall effect of the play. I think a reason he manages to do this is that the cause of the story; love, is something common in all times and places in the world. He manages to bring the problems of today, with those in Shakespearean times such as forced marriage, together in such a way, without leaving a disjointed feel.
