Romeo and Juliet are alive

“Romeo and Juliet are alive” — musical performance by Arkadiusz Jakubik

What if Romeo and Juliet survived? Actor, director and musician Arkadiusz Jakubik tries to answer this question in his original musical performance “Romeo and Juliet live”.

“Romeo and Juliet Live” is an unusual combination of theatrical performance, musical performance, concert and film. Inspired by one of the most famous dramas in the history of literature, the story is transferred from the world of 16th-century Verona to the present day. Instead of young lovers, we meet Jana and Krystyna Marzec — a couple in their 40s whose history shows that love, longing, passion, betrayal and the need for closeness have no age.

The action takes place in modern Piaseczno near Warsaw. It is here that Arkadiusz Jakubik takes viewers into the world of his heroes — people entangled in everyday life, their own decisions and emotions, who try to find themselves in a relationship put to the test. It is a story about love, betrayal, longing, disappointments and the consequences of seemingly ordinary choices, but also about hope and the possibility of finding happiness even when life has long ceased to resemble a romantic story.

In the plot layer, “Romeo and Juliet Live” is a melodramatic-comedy story full of tension, emotions and unexpected twists. However, the story of modern lovers over forty does not lead to the tragic finale known from Shakespeare's drama. On the contrary, this time Romeo and Juliet have a chance to live their story to the end.

An integral part of the performance is music. On the album “Romeo and Juliet Live”, Arkadiusz Jakubik presents ten original works that form an emotional, almost serial narrative. During the performance, the songs become part of the story being told — they are not just a musical accompaniment, but one of the main ways of conducting the narrative.

On stage, Arkadiusz Jakubik is accompanied by a band playing live. Musicians, however, do not only perform the function of instrumentalists — they also become actors participating in the stage performance. Thanks to this, the line between concert and theater is blurred, and music becomes a living part of the performance.

An important element of the performance are also projections of original video art by Natan Berkowicz, displayed on LED screens or cinema screens. Image, light, music and word form together a cinematic space in which the viewer can immerse themselves in the story of the characters.

However, the creators do not offer a classic theatrical adaptation or a finished film that is shown in front of the audience. On the contrary, the viewer is invited to co-create the story with his own imagination. The simple staging form leaves room for individual comments, and subsequent scenes, words and sounds trigger the imagination of the recipient. Jakubik tells and sings the story, but it is the viewer who builds her cinematic image in his head.

Therefore, “Romeo and Juliet Live” can be perceived simultaneously as a concert, a performance and a film that is created in the imagination. The artist's direct contact with the audience, interaction, live music and multimedia setting make each performance an encounter not only with the story of Jan and Krystyna, but also with the viewer's own emotions and experiences.

“Romeo and Juliet Live” is a modern love story that, instead of asking why great love must end in tragedy, poses the question: what happens next? What remains when the first infatuation passes, everyday problems, disappointments, betrayal and difficult decisions arise? Can love in your 40s be as intense as the one romantic stories tell? And is it still possible to write a happy ending for yourself after the transitions?

Arkadiusz Jakubik offers the audience his own answer — a sincere, emotional and musical performance about love that does not end with youth. It is a story about people who, despite the passage of time, still want to love, to be loved and to find their place next to another person.

“Romeo and Juliet Live” is a performance on the border between theater, concert and cinema - a story that every viewer can see differently. It is his imagination that becomes the screen on which the story of Jan and Krystyna Marzec takes place.

Romeo and Juliet are alive this time. The only question is, how will their story unfold?

Tickets available at the Theatre Box Office (tel. 542314766) and online.