Conrad Murray is one of the team at Polka Theater Romeo and Julietthe premiere of a new hip-hop production Romeo and Juliet Recommended for children aged 9-12 and over playing at Wimbledon from 2nd March to 14th April 2024.
Shakespeare’s most famous story is retold through rap, rhythm, and beautiful harmonies thanks to Beats & Elements’ Conrad Murray and LaKeisha Lynch Stevens.Frankenstein: How to make a monster“,”Pied Piper the Hip Hop Family Musical” and “High Rise State of Mind” With cast member Kate Donachie (‘“An Unexpected Twist”, “Pied Piper: The Hip Hop Musical”) and Kai Shaw (‘riddle baby jesss’, orange tree,’Kara commotion’, RSC). The collective will replace this action in a 60-minute version in south London.
Polka will also be visiting 12 schools across Merton and the local authority as part of a new pilot tour scheme to strengthen its commitment to providing accessible theater to local schoolchildren as school budgets become increasingly tight. It’s going to tour shows. . All schools will receive a free teacher resource pack to help them further explore the show’s curriculum links, and will also have access to customized workshops focused on the show.
       
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We’re bringing Romeo and Juliet to the Polka Theater ahead of our school tour. What do you think about the show?
It’s like a musical that combines live performances and movies. The ultimate remix adaptation. Something you’ve never seen before. This show is a high-energy, intense musical spectacle. Packed with harmonies, rapping, and storytelling from amazing performers.
What inspired the team to create new versions of Shakespeare’s stories for younger audiences?
The original story has a lot of action, but it also has a lot of powerful themes like parental pressure, arranged marriages, feuds, and staying true to yourself. Romeo and Juliet are true to themselves and follow their hearts, ignoring the echo chamber around them. These all seemed great to bring to a new audience in 2024.
Please tell us more about the music featured on the program.
The music in the show is pretty special. Live loops, beatboxing, singing, rapping, guitar. Everything was written by me and the rest of the company. Expect R&B, pop-hip-hop, and grime bangers. No one would have heard anything like this before. Usually, theater shows are not written and performed by his R&B singers and rappers, especially Shakespeare. The language of the show is very modern and will appeal to younger viewers. The cast relates to many themes and characters and is also local.
What was the biggest challenge in cutting the play down to 60 minutes?
It was difficult to figure out how to convey the entire story with four actors in 60 minutes. I had to choose the best story points and most important characters. Some characters are integrated so the energy and motivation comes from her one character.
What does it mean to you to work at the Polka Theater?
The Polka Theater was the first theater I went to as a child, and social workers often took me to the gift shop after meetings. My siblings were taken in by young caregivers. It took my young mind to a completely different dimension. It was like Hollywood in the middle of Merton and it was really quite charming. I have lived in Merton all my life and a lot of my family also lived in Merton. I have performed and created many shows around the country and around the world, but appearing on Polka is special and means so much to me.
       
What would you say to people who are thinking of pre-ordering “Romeo and Juliet”?
Book it! If you like Romeo and Juliet, you’ll love it! If you have never seen this, this will blow your mind and you will fall in love with it. Incredible music, sick performers.