Bernd Lafrenz - Romeo & Juliet

In his affectionate parody, Bernd Lafrenz lends “Romeo and Juliet”—one of his freely adapted, comedic Shakespeare productions—that very special, light and airy charm with which he has already thrilled and captivated his audiences in other plays (Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear).

And just as in those other adaptations, the multi-award-winning theater artist Lafrenz performs the entire story of Romeo and Juliet as a highly virtuosic one-man show, in which he switches from one character to another with playful ease, often within seconds.

But Lafrenz wouldn’t be Lafrenz if he simply retold the famous story by the book! And so the audience first meets the endearingly lisping Balthasar, proud owner of the bicycle courier company “Balthasar International Courier Services (since 1423)” and descendant of Romeo’s servant of the same name. For eleven generations—since 1423, in fact—the Balthasars have been fulfilling Romeo’s legacy: spreading the story of the two lovers far and wide. But everything turns out quite differently than Balthasar had planned, because, as if by magic, Shakespeare’s play and its characters suddenly come to life.

Together with Balthasar, the audience suddenly finds itself right in the middle of “that story from back then,” experiencing the entire tale of “Sir Romeo” and “Lady Juliet”—first, live, and second, right on the spot. And when, torn between fascination and laughter, the audience witnesses—at the drama’s conclusion—two marvelous theatrical deaths, performed in true style with contortions and twitches, even that—as Balthasar ensures—is both moving and comical at the same time. In any case, it’s a fitting finale to one of those now-rare, regal evenings at the theater, where you’d rather not go home at all.