TARA Arts will launch their latest touring production in September, People’s Romeo - an inventive reimagining of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet performed in English and Bengali.

Five performers will use Pala Gaan, a popular Bengali theatre style which combines music, dance and storytelling, to re-invent this classic of English theatre.

In weaving together Shakespeare’s verse and Bengali poetry, People’s Romeo is a dynamic cross-cultural performance made for our time.

Pala Gaan was originally performed in the market squares of Bangladesh in the 16th century, at the same time that Shakespeare was staging his plays before London audiences at the Globe Theatre. Pala Gaan is an energetic and highly engaging style of performance designed to draw in the crowds.

Directed by Mukul Ahmed, the cast is: Delwar Hossain Dilu (as Romeo), Caitlin Thorburn (as Juliet), Swagata Biswas, Leesa Gazi and Sohini Alam.

Prior to a UK tour, People’s Romeo will play five performances at TARA Studio ahead of visits to Greenwich (14-18 Sept), Plymouth (21-25 Sept), Wolverhampton (28-29 Sept), Crawley (30 Sept), London’s Asia House (1 Oct) and Waterman’s (6-16 Oct), Hull (18-19 Oct), Darlington (21 Oct) and Birmingham (22 Oct).

Mukul Ahmed’s directing credits include: Prints of Denmark (TARA Studio/ Edinburgh); The Girl and the Oil Pipeline; The Rape of Lucrece; Sonata; People’s Romeo (TARA Studio), The Golden Age (Southbank Centre) and three short plays (Theatre 503).

TARA produces global theatre for local audiences. Positioned between East and West, TARA has pioneered cross-cultural theatre for over three decades. www.tara-arts.com