Amore - The Romantic Poets
Byron, Shelley & Keats
A Dramatised reading
- First staged by the Mercators at the 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
- Running time -80 minutes
- Script and performing rights available from the author
Cast
The current script is configured for 7 readers - 3 male, 3 female and a narrator (M or F)
Numbers can be easily adapted to suit
Staging
Can be very adaptable. A row of chairs is all that is required. A lectern could be added with other furnishings to suit. Dramatic readings are particularly ideal for non-theatrical venues and touring productions
Synopsis
Amore – The Romantic Poets is devised to be staged as a rehearsed dramatised reading. The present script is configured for 7 performers, the numbers created for its first performance at the 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. However, lines can be re-allocated to create flexible numbers.
Although scripts are used, performers should be confidently familiar with the text. There are sequences that will work better without scripts. Costumes and music could be a colourful addition.
The script is drawn from some of the excellent biographies available; Byron: Life and Legend by Fiona MacCarthy, Shelley: The Pursuit by Richard Holmes, Keats by Andrew Motion and Young Romantics by Daisy Hay.
Amore is a performance piece, and although the lives of the poets are documented chronologically, some minor adjustments have been made for dramatic purposes. The script includes a liberal sprinkling of their poems often linked with the relevant event in the poet’s life. It is not intended to be a standard poetry recital, mainly because many of their poems are extremely long.