eNewsletter 
by William Shakespeare
Directed and edited by: Paul Stebbings
Music composed, arranged and directed by: John Kenny.
Producer: Grantly Marshall
This is a tragedy of clan war, of a town in violent chaos, riven by family feuds, where the deaths of two young lovers bring the warring factions to their senses. Verona is brought to the stage in all its classical glory, Latin passion and baroque decadence. This is an Italy where honour, pride and family loyalty are valued above morality, peace and love. In a modern world equally riven by violence and intolerance, where peace seems as elusive as true love, this great tragedy is as relevant as ever. This is not a historical but a mythic setting that enables the morality play and the romantic tragedy to reach its true potential. The music for this production comprises both recorded instrumental and live vocal elements. In addition to original composition, John Kenny has arranged and adapted many 16th and early 17th Century Italian, English, and Spanish vocal and instrumental works, which are performed on period instruments by The Scott Free Ensamble baroque violin, alto & tenor sackbuts recorders, percussion, alto & tenor sackbuts harpsichord, organ, piano in the ravishing acoustic of the historic Innerleithen Church on the banks of the River Tweed, Scotland.
All too often, Shakespeare suffers from directors and even designers imposing an interpretation on the original that stifles its essence. TNT works carefully to bring out the true richness and depth of Shakespeare. This approach has been much appreciated by a wide audience who is often surprised at how accessible and relevant Shakespeare's plays become when they are performed in the manner Shakespeare might have intended. The plays were written to be performed with limited scenery which calls upon the imagination of the audience, live music, small casts, energetic physical performances and a sensitivity to poetry. All of these elements are present in a TNT Shakespeare production. Less is more or, to quote HAMLET, "the play is the thing."
"Extraordinary. TNT demonstrates how Shakespeare can be made relevant to a modern audience anywhere in the world": Japan Times, Tokyo
"Highly effective and charismatic theatre": Village Voice, New York
"Touring theatre at its best": South China Morning Post, Hong Kong
"Wonderfully unpredictable and astonishingly inventive, their imagery defies description": Scotsman, Edinburgh Festival
