Plays which used script as stimulus
The musical, West Side Story by Stephen Sondheim is based on Shakespeare’s famous play, Romeo and Juliet. Sondheim transports the action to America in the 1950s, where American and Puerto Rican rival gangs represent the feuding Montagues and Capulets of the original story. Romeo and Juliet are replaced by the characters Tony and Maria, but the story of the ‘star-crossed lovers’ remains the same. Could you transport your storyline or characters to another place and time?
Sharman Macdonald’s play for young people, After Juliet, is also inspired by Romeo and Juliet. It explores the aftermath of the characters’ double suicide and in particular the impact on the teenagers in their families. Perhaps this could be a starting point for your work. What happens when the play is done?
Tom Stoppard’s comedy, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, focuses on two minor characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and looks at events through their eyes. Sent to England by their friend Lord Hamlet, most of the action takes place ‘offstage’ where they are waiting for their return, confused by unfolding events. Could you focus on minor characters in your script and examine events through their eyes?
