What if Juliet decided not to die?

VANCOUVER, BC: An exploration of our reverence of classical theatre through the lens of modern feminism. Do we control our own fate? Juliet is perhaps the character in literature with the least free will. Not only is she a child, a woman, the literary embodiment of love but she is a character in someone else’s play… a man’s play.

Juliet: A Revenge Comedy was nominated for 5 Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards (Best Production, Best Direction, Best Original Script, Best Performance in a Leading Role and won for Best Performance in a Supporting Role).

Stuck in an endless loop of turning a dagger on herself, Juliet breaks out of her tragedy in search of a reason for her tragic demise. On the way, Juliet recruits a team of Shakespeare’s most famous female characters to find out why they’ve been forced to die. Can they alter their fate or are they doomed to play out the same tragic tales for the rest of eternity? Monster Theatre’s Juliet: A Revenge Comedy, by Pippa Mackie and Ryan Gladstone, premiered at the Winnipeg and Edmonton Fringe Festival in 2019 and then, in 2022, did a larger four-city Fringe Festival circuit, selling out shows in all cities, gaining widespread popularity as well as critical acclaim wherever it went, and garnering six Jessie Richardson Theatre Award nominations and one win. In 2024 the show, presented by RibbitRepublic at the Orlando Fringe, has received a big new production featuring a brand new musical score by Drew Jurecka, new costumes by Nita Bowerman, a new set by Alexandra Caprara, and lighting design by Jon Paterson and Jude Weismiller. Lili Boudoin plays Juliet, co-writer/director Ryan Gladstone plays Shakespeare and Carly Pokoradi, reprises her Jesse award-winning role, playing over 20 characters including Lady Macbeth and Ophelia, to bring this canon-bending comedy to life once more.

About Monster Theatre

Monster Theatre creates original plays that challenge preconceptions, excite imaginations and embody the way of the Monster: strange, twisted and bizarre on the outside, but always with a noble heart. Our process puts story first by adapting universal stories to make them relevant for our specific time and place in the world, or re-imagining history with impeccable research and utter irreverence. Monster Theatre produces work that engages the hearts, brains and guts of all audiences; comedies that excite intellectuals, histories that shock teenagers, and theatre for young audiences that makes adults roll on the floor laughing.

Founded in 2000, Monster Theatre has created over 40 original plays and toured across Canada countless times. Though our company is based in Vancouver, we are more at home on the road. The Monsters are thrilled to be bringing our work to the Cultch stage.

Credits

Co-Writer, Producer: Pippa Mackie
Co-Writer, Director, Producer: Ryan Gladstone
Cast:
Shakespeare: Ryan Gladstone
Juliet: Lili Beaudoin
20+ characters including Romeo, Lady Macbeth and Ophelia: Carly Pokoradi
Original Score: Drew Jurecka
Lighting Designer: Jon Paterson and Jude Weismiller
Costume Designer: Nita Bowerman
Set Designer: Alexandra Caprara
Stage Management: Jon Paterson