Romeo and Juliet (Love and War)

"Romeo and Juliet" is a 1967 Australian TV play based on the play by William Shakespeare. It was presented as part of the Love and War anthology series on the ABC.[4]

"Romeo and Juliet"
Love and War episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 6
Directed byOscar Whitbread
Teleplay byAlan Cole[1]
Based onRomeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Original air date18 October 1967 (1967-10-18)[2]
Running time100 mins[3]

Premise

In the Italian town of Verona, Romeo and Juliet are teenagers from feuding families who fall in love.

Cast

Production

It was the first Australian TV presentation of the play and featured a cast of over fifty. "Using young actors makes the story more acceptable," said director Oscar Whitbread. "The basic thing with teenagers is that they tend to become isolated from their parents and society when they fall in love. But do we, as adults, understand the purity of their love?"[6]

It was filmed in Melbourne. The production was announced in July and rehearsals began in September. The adaptation was by Alan Cole of Melbourne University. Whitbread claimed that "Alan Cole has adapted it beautifully."[7]

Reception

The Age called it "a really splendid achievement."[8]

The Sydney Morning Herald said the production "will not need to be kept for generations ungotten and unborn...listening was like reading with every line spaced out. Sean Scully and Liza Goddard were looking as though they wanted to play it in jeans... The production lacked creative direction."[9]

References
  1. "Juliet in a Mini". The Age. 5 October 1967. p. 10.
  2. "TV Guide". Sydney Morning Herald. 16 October 1967. p. 17.
  3. "Television". Sydney Morning Herald. 18 October 1967. p. 27.
  4. Vagg, Stephen (March 8, 2021). "Forgotten Australian TV plays: Romeo and Juliet". Filmink.
  5. "TELEVISION A WEEK OF SAD STORIES". The Canberra Times. Vol. 42, no. 11, 824. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 20 October 1967. p. 15. Retrieved 19 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "Juliet Conforms". The Age. 12 October 1967. p. 10.
  7. "Cast as Juliet". The Age. 6 July 1967. p. 25.
  8. The Televiewer (26 October 1967). "Teletopics". The Age. p. 9.
  9. Robinson, Harry (19 October 1967). "Metamorphosis of Mavis". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 14.
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