Romeo and Juliet

I struggled through Romeo and Juliet at school but because I did it twice (in years 10 & 12) I came away with an appreciation of the story and the poetry. I probably understand about 10% of it but it's enough to know that it is nuanced, multilayered and just generally clever.

When the Bell Shakespeare company performed it about 20 years ago, I was keen to go and see it in the theatre, keen to see if it would become more alive for me or if I would be able to recognise any fabulous quotes I had previously missed. Unfortunately for me, my husband didn't want me to go anywhere or enjoy anything and I was silly enough to allow him to restrict me that way. I didn't see the play.

The Bell Shakespeare company is currently running another season and I surprised myself with how keen I was to make good on this long held dream. Without me realising, it had become a bucket list item and I was going to go.

I rarely go to the city due to the difficulty of public transport and pedestrian precincts etc so it was nice to be by the harbour, to smell the air and enjoy the connection to history as we wandered the old docks.

My daughter Briony came with me and we enjoyed a wee cheese platter before the play

Briony managed to capture a single photo of the theatre before being asked to put away her phone

After a lifetime of watching my Mum sew, my mind sometimes drifted from the acting to the construction of the costumes, which must have taken quite a lot of logic and planning

I did manage to pick out a spectacularly beautiful few words I had never noticed before "Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing"

I think we have all felt that before?

This photo was taken in the corridor leadin to the theatre and I was lucky to snap it while nobody wandered into the frame. The backlighting is unfortunate but one day it will remind Briony of a late afternoon outing with her mum