A soul of fire

THAT WHICH WE CALL A ROSE: Her first audition ever landed Bo Jarratt the role of Juliet in Unity Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet — and the young actor has a clear sense of what she sees in her character. Picture by Mark Peters

The balcony scene comes to mind for most people when talking about Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, says young actor Bo Jarratt. It is also one of Bo’s favourite scenes in the play. Cast as Juliet Capulet in Unity Theatre’s upcoming production of the Romeo and Juliet, Bo plays the teen girl who falls in love with Romeo Montague. Romeo forgets the girl he was swooning over earlier and falls in love with Juliet with the same intensity and anguish as the object of his infatuation. The problem is, the Italian families Montague and Capulet are divided by an ancient grudge and it is this feud that ultimately turns a love story into a tragedy.

In the famous balcony scene early in the play the audience sees the youngsters make ardent proclamations of their love — but not to each other initially. Romeo moons about beneath Juliet’s bedroom and talks about her in high-flown poetry that borders on fruitiness. Standing on the balcony, Juliet is at first unaware of Romeo’s presence and declares her love to the night air.

“I love the balcony scene,” says Bo.

“I love playing Juliet as over the moon, and I love the head-over-heels and flirty scenes. The balcony and the ballroom scene are the happiest scenes in the play.”

Bo’s Juliet is more than a flighty girl with a crush though.

When Romeo reaches the balcony, declares himself to Juliet, and vows to abandon the name Montague, Juliet is taken aback and even a little short with him.

“What man art thou that, thus bescreened in night,

So stumblest on my counsel?”

The moment is tinged with tension as Juliet’s attendant nurse repeatedly calls for her from indoors. Torn between staying and leaving Romeo brings sweetly comic moments to the scene.

“There is a lot of comedy in little bits and pieces in the play,” says Bo.

“You have the intensity of the story but I try to bring something of myself to Juliet as well.”

Many movie versions of the play do not portray Juliet as Shakespeare wrote her, says Bo.

“She is seen as young and pretty and her parents want her married off. But she is more than just pretty. She is a beautiful, young woman but she is determined. She has a soul of fire.”

Romeo might have been initially smitten with Rosaline but Juliet was to be married to a bloke called Paris, a Capulet. When she sees Romeo — “a beautiful young boy” — she falls in love with him — then finds he is a Montague. Apart from Romeo, no one knows of her love apart from her nurse and a friar.

“She knows if anyone finds out about her secret love that would be the end. The Montagues and Capulets would make it a massive issue. There would be a massive fight,” says Bo.

Bo has loved acting since she was five-years-old but this was her first audition.

“I had my mind set on the part of Juliet. I was over the moon to get it.

“My character is a beautiful young woman. She’s only 15-years-old but she knows exactly what she wants. She’ll fight for what she wants.”

Unity Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet opens on April 25.