Two productions of Shakespeare’s work open this weekend.
Bard in the Barracks is celebrating its tenth year of outdoor Shakespeare productions in downtown Fredericton with a specially expanded season featuring two of the Bard’s most famed tragedies, running from June 19 through July 5.
The company will return to its original home, bringing the Bard back to Barracks Square, to stage an exciting new production of Romeo and Juliet. Set in the midst of a contemporary national election campaign, with the warring Capulets and Montagues as rival parties on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum, Romeo and Juliet will offer more than a few knowing nods to politicians we all know and love (or love to hate, as the case may be), along with thrilling street fights, live music, and a site-specific staging in one of Fredericton’s most beautiful and historic locations.
Romeo and Juliet will run alongside Hamlet in Odell Park, a remounting of Bard’s 2014 production that was on its way to setting a new box office record before post-tropical storm Arthur wiped out its final performances. Set in a camp of itinerant travelers, the Danes, Hamlet draws inspiration from the vibrant music and culture of the travelling peoples of Europe, and won raves for its innovative split- stream staging, which sees audience members divided into two groups, each of which experiences a different version of the play as they are led through the park over the course of the evening, even encountering some scenes that occur just “off-stage” of the pages of Shakespeare’s work.
Romeo and Juliet in Barracks Square and Hamlet in Odell Park will be performed on alternating evenings from June 19 through July 5. Single tickets range from $10-$18 with reduced prices for two-show passes and for groups.
For the full performance schedule and show and ticket details, visit www.bardinthebarracks.com or call (506) 458-7406
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdfedkp4bLo
Tickets: Tickets for Hamlet in Odell Park and for Romeo & Juliet in Barracks Square are available at the doors of the shows or in advance at Westminster Books, 445 King Street (open until 5 Mon-Wed, until 9 Thurs/Fri, and until 5 Sat/Sun).
Performances of Hamlet will take place on June 19, 20, 26, 27 and July 3, 4, and 5.
Performances of Romeo and Juliet will take place June 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, and July 2. Curtain time for all shows is 7:30 PM.
