Dates
15 Jan - 7 Jul 2024Location
Metro Arts Studios, West EndRomeo and Juliet is not a love story. It’s a hate story.
We don’t stage this tale to celebrate love – we tell it in times of conflict! It helps us understand and process social and cultural disequilibrium.
IMRSE’s development of VERONA imagines the peripheral impact of the star-cross’d lovers on the citizens of a community at war.
More than a reimagining, this immersive experience lives in the gaps between the scenes of Shakespeare’s classic, leaving the lovers out completely.
Created for both student and adult audiences, these scenes in-between brim with greater woe yet, without Romeo or his Juliet.
This project is supported by Metro Arts Creative Development Program 2024.
About: Metro Arts Creative Development Program supports experimentation, collaboration, and exploration of new forms and models.
The artists
Emma Churchland - Founder and CEO, IMRSE
Emma Churchland (she/her) is a respected dramaturg and Teacher Artist based in Brisbane.
She currently serves as a sessional tutor and unit coordinator at QUT. Emma has directed and collaborated on numerous productions, making significant contributions to the local theatre scene, and working closely with a variety of talented artists.
Her production, “Things I’d Say To You,” garnered attention for its innovative approach to storytelling in Brisbane Festival. In addition to her teaching and creative endeavours, Emma has served as a creative consultant, offering guidance and structure to fellow artists in Brisbane.
Notably, she collaborated with The SUI Ensemble on the critically acclaimed production “La Silhouette,” which received a Matilda Award for Best Independent Production in 2019 and was performed at Battersea Arts Center in London and Brisbane Powerhouse. Emma is the Founder and CEO of IMRSE Theatre Company, who are Company in Residence at Metro Arts in 2024/2025.
Dan Gough - Artistic Director, IMRSE
Dan Gough (he/she/they) is a Meanjin-based director, performer, writer and producer.
He has developed and presented work spanning various artistic organisations from Brisbane Powerhouse to Battersea Arts Centre in London. Dan is the Artistic Director of IMRSE Theatre Company which are Company in Residents at Metro Arts in 2024/2025.
He co-wrote and directed CAKE at Metro Arts in 2023. Previous to this, he was the Founder and Artistic Director of The Sui Ensemble, directing their work ‘La Silhouette’, which won Best Independent Production at the Matildas in 2019. Dan is currently a sessional academic at QUT, teaching within the Drama Faculty, as well as a recognised Drag Queen and community builder.