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After Juliet (Connections) by Sharman Macdonald
A tense truce holds between the Capulets and the Montagues after the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Benvolio, Romeo's best friend, is in love with Rosaline, Juliet's cousin; but Rosaline is bent on revenge.
After Juliet by Sharman Macdonald was specially commissioned by the Royal National Theatre for the BT National Connections Scheme for young people.
After Juliet by Sharman Macdonald was specially commissioned by the Royal National Theatre for the BT National Connections Scheme for young people.
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First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 7, 2020
Years ago, I swore that I would eventually track down a copy of After Juliet and read it. At the time I presumed that this play was responsible for the glut of Benvolio/Rosaline Romeo and Juliet spinoffs (especially in YA) because it was the earliest work that I could find which paired those two characters romantically. I’m not as convinced of that now—my younger self didn’t consider the fact that romantic options in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet are rather scarce, and Benvolio and Rosaline are basically the only two characters who are young, unattached, and survive the play.
As it turns out, Rosaline and Benvolio’s relationship (which is mostly one-sided) is such a small part of this short but fascinating work. This is more of an exploration of Rosaline’s thoughts following the tragedy and, even more broadly, the thoughts of Verona as a whole. Most of the scenes consist of the characters discussing the events of Shakespeare’s play and trying to make sense of them—who should be blamed for all of the recent deaths? Should the two families remain at peace, or is that a fruitless endeavor? Did Romeo and Juliet even really love each other?
It’s certainly respectable enough—taking on Shakespeare is no easy task, but Macdonald appropriately channels the wild (oftentimes conflicting) emotions of the teenage characters and the entire text simmers with the restlessness and resentment that is baked into Verona’s very foundation. Though this play wisely does not attempt to mimic Shakespearean language or meter, it’s written in a format that walks the line between the poetry of Romeo and Juliet and the contemporary language of today. I am well aware from some of my other Shakespeare retellings that this is quite difficult to accomplish; After Juliet neither feels wildly anachronistic nor like a lofty attempt to mimic Victorian English.
The plot of After Juliet is quite sparse. Honestly, it’s more of an extended epilogue to Romeo and Juliet (albeit with a cast of almost exclusively new characters) than its own narrative. I didn’t mind this, but it does stop the play from having a stronger identity of its own. I wasn’t a huge fan of most of the characters: Rosaline, the text’s clear pride and joy, was surprisingly underdeveloped after all that I had heard about this work (although I recognize that all of her lines and behavior could certainly be bolstered by a dynamic performance) and Benvolio (the only real character of significance in this play that also had a considerable role in Romeo and Juliet) was disappointingly reduced to nothing more than a puppy dog mooning after her. However, this could very well be my retelling bias at play: I was so enamored with the Rosaline and Benvolio of Melinda Taub’s Still Star-Crossed (the book, not the TV series of the same name) that they somehow became my quintessential versions of the characters, and it’s possible that I would have liked After Juliet's interpretations of the characters more had I not been exposed to so many other versions beforehand.
Despite its brevity, After Juliet is an intriguing creation with plenty to unpack. It’s a rather bleak look at the post-Romeo and Juliet Verona, but that’s a bleakness that is merited given the story from which it originates. Because the play is so short, the amount of useless filler it contains is somewhat irritating (I know that this script was created with young teenage casts in mind, so I can’t help but wonder if some of the more pointless characters and conversations merely exist to give more performers something to do). But the heart of the story is alive and questioning, and the ideas and characterizations posed result in something more than a quick, thoughtless sequel to a familiar work. It left me wanting more from it—but perhaps that was the entire point.
4 stars.
As it turns out, Rosaline and Benvolio’s relationship (which is mostly one-sided) is such a small part of this short but fascinating work. This is more of an exploration of Rosaline’s thoughts following the tragedy and, even more broadly, the thoughts of Verona as a whole. Most of the scenes consist of the characters discussing the events of Shakespeare’s play and trying to make sense of them—who should be blamed for all of the recent deaths? Should the two families remain at peace, or is that a fruitless endeavor? Did Romeo and Juliet even really love each other?
It’s certainly respectable enough—taking on Shakespeare is no easy task, but Macdonald appropriately channels the wild (oftentimes conflicting) emotions of the teenage characters and the entire text simmers with the restlessness and resentment that is baked into Verona’s very foundation. Though this play wisely does not attempt to mimic Shakespearean language or meter, it’s written in a format that walks the line between the poetry of Romeo and Juliet and the contemporary language of today. I am well aware from some of my other Shakespeare retellings that this is quite difficult to accomplish; After Juliet neither feels wildly anachronistic nor like a lofty attempt to mimic Victorian English.
The plot of After Juliet is quite sparse. Honestly, it’s more of an extended epilogue to Romeo and Juliet (albeit with a cast of almost exclusively new characters) than its own narrative. I didn’t mind this, but it does stop the play from having a stronger identity of its own. I wasn’t a huge fan of most of the characters: Rosaline, the text’s clear pride and joy, was surprisingly underdeveloped after all that I had heard about this work (although I recognize that all of her lines and behavior could certainly be bolstered by a dynamic performance) and Benvolio (the only real character of significance in this play that also had a considerable role in Romeo and Juliet) was disappointingly reduced to nothing more than a puppy dog mooning after her. However, this could very well be my retelling bias at play: I was so enamored with the Rosaline and Benvolio of Melinda Taub’s Still Star-Crossed (the book, not the TV series of the same name) that they somehow became my quintessential versions of the characters, and it’s possible that I would have liked After Juliet's interpretations of the characters more had I not been exposed to so many other versions beforehand.
Despite its brevity, After Juliet is an intriguing creation with plenty to unpack. It’s a rather bleak look at the post-Romeo and Juliet Verona, but that’s a bleakness that is merited given the story from which it originates. Because the play is so short, the amount of useless filler it contains is somewhat irritating (I know that this script was created with young teenage casts in mind, so I can’t help but wonder if some of the more pointless characters and conversations merely exist to give more performers something to do). But the heart of the story is alive and questioning, and the ideas and characterizations posed result in something more than a quick, thoughtless sequel to a familiar work. It left me wanting more from it—but perhaps that was the entire point.
4 stars.
June 13, 2023
I'm honestly not sure what to make of this one. I'm also not sure why it is labeled as being a comedy, as I read almost nothing that was funny in it. This is a very lyrical, dream-like play that I will likely have to read again to fully understand. It was hard to keep track of who was who when reading, as opposed to the easier time I would have had when seeing it on stage.
May 14, 2021
If you like Romeo and Juliet this is cool imagining of what happens after they die following Rosaline (Romeo’s initial love interest at the start of R&J).
June 14, 2022
was forced to read this, i think it was an interesting concept, but don’t really want to think about it ever again.
March 13, 2023
didn’t love it but i guess i’ll have to
October 3, 2023
SMed this play
July 11, 2024
I love the concept of this book and the ethereal way in which it's told and I wish there was more of it.
March 10, 2025
I liked it :))))
February 20, 2017
#En 3 points
*Le courage d'une suite improbable : écrire une suite à "Roméo et Juliette", certainement l'œuvre la plus célèbre de Shakespeare, adaptée mille fois et jamais égalée, aurait paru suicidaire à plus d'un auteur chevronné - rien que pour cela déjà, "After Juliet" mérite le coup d'œil !
*La force de deux personnages connus mais sous-exploités : Rosaline et Benvolio, plutôt attachants, remplacent Juliette et Roméo, dont l'ombre planera sur l'ensemble de la pièce - les amants maudits sont régulièrement égratignés par les survivants qu'ils ont abandonnés sans remord et inclinent à une question que tout fan de Shakespeare s'est déjà posé : que s'est-il passé après ?
*La frustration d'un récit inégal : si elle cumule de nombreux points forts (Rosaline est féministe, la pièce éclaire quant aux destins de certains individus restés en suspend à la fin de la tragédie, le style est fluide et agréable), elle pêche en incluant trop de personnages, quelques-uns étant carrément un ersatz des héros originaux - on sera cependant gré à Sharman MacDonald de son final mélancolique à souhait, sans excès dramatique ni happy end forcé, rappelant qu'un dénouement n'a pas à se cantonner à ces deux seules possibilités.
*Le courage d'une suite improbable : écrire une suite à "Roméo et Juliette", certainement l'œuvre la plus célèbre de Shakespeare, adaptée mille fois et jamais égalée, aurait paru suicidaire à plus d'un auteur chevronné - rien que pour cela déjà, "After Juliet" mérite le coup d'œil !
*La force de deux personnages connus mais sous-exploités : Rosaline et Benvolio, plutôt attachants, remplacent Juliette et Roméo, dont l'ombre planera sur l'ensemble de la pièce - les amants maudits sont régulièrement égratignés par les survivants qu'ils ont abandonnés sans remord et inclinent à une question que tout fan de Shakespeare s'est déjà posé : que s'est-il passé après ?
*La frustration d'un récit inégal : si elle cumule de nombreux points forts (Rosaline est féministe, la pièce éclaire quant aux destins de certains individus restés en suspend à la fin de la tragédie, le style est fluide et agréable), elle pêche en incluant trop de personnages, quelques-uns étant carrément un ersatz des héros originaux - on sera cependant gré à Sharman MacDonald de son final mélancolique à souhait, sans excès dramatique ni happy end forcé, rappelant qu'un dénouement n'a pas à se cantonner à ces deux seules possibilités.
December 24, 2022
The fallout following the events of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is fun to ponder, and After Juliet is a posited example of this - more specifically focusing on the election of a new Prince or Princess of Cats, and the tenuous peace enforced on both families.
The play takes an interesting look at the elements at hand, introducing a love plot between Benvolio and Rosaline that, if memory serves, were not present in the original. Although this is certainly not a bad idea and further adds to the backstory of some of the lesser characters, the romance is handled in an odd manner, perhaps owing to the short nature of the play.
The characters of Gianni and Lorenzo were... certainly present. Although their antics at time were comical, more often than not, their sections were more irritating than funny.
To be truthful, although it is not poorly penned by any stretch, I would not recommend this play, regardless of your feelings towards Romeo and Juliet.
2/5
The play takes an interesting look at the elements at hand, introducing a love plot between Benvolio and Rosaline that, if memory serves, were not present in the original. Although this is certainly not a bad idea and further adds to the backstory of some of the lesser characters, the romance is handled in an odd manner, perhaps owing to the short nature of the play.
The characters of Gianni and Lorenzo were... certainly present. Although their antics at time were comical, more often than not, their sections were more irritating than funny.
To be truthful, although it is not poorly penned by any stretch, I would not recommend this play, regardless of your feelings towards Romeo and Juliet.
2/5
December 3, 2012
This script is... okay.
We did this show at my high school a few years back. I was cast as Lorenzo, a sex crazed meat head who wants to lay with girls like there is no tomorrow.
The script may I say is a downright black sheep compared to it's origins, Romeo and Juliet. There is a plethora of swearing and an unimaginable amount of useless dialogue. Some of the main players in Romeo and Juliet don't even make an appearance!
It was a foolish adaption, I don't recommend this, for it's a silly sequel to R&J.
We did this show at my high school a few years back. I was cast as Lorenzo, a sex crazed meat head who wants to lay with girls like there is no tomorrow.
The script may I say is a downright black sheep compared to it's origins, Romeo and Juliet. There is a plethora of swearing and an unimaginable amount of useless dialogue. Some of the main players in Romeo and Juliet don't even make an appearance!
It was a foolish adaption, I don't recommend this, for it's a silly sequel to R&J.
December 31, 2015
I was in a Stage Production of this show at my High School. I played the character of Bianca, I found it an absolutely amazing breakthrough for me as an actress, I have finally found my strengths and weaknesses on stage because of this beautiful story. The story of Juliet's cousins after her death, is a plot I never would have imagined, but works on the stage in ways incapable of providing words for. All Love leads to War, All War leads to Love, Where do you fall in the never ending cycle?
January 29, 2022
Rosaline has at least two good monologues, but they could be too close in style to classical speeches despite being contemporary.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews