Headlines
Love-struck trucks and diggers: Estonia's take on 'Romeo and Juliet'
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on August 1, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on August 1, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Estonia's unique Romeo and Juliet adaptation uses vehicles to tell the classic tale, captivating audiences with a modern twist.
By Janis Laizans
RUMMU, Estonia (Reuters) -A production of "Romeo and Juliet" in Estonia uses a cast of vehicles to tell Shakespeare's story of star-crossed lovers, with a red Ford pickup taking on the role of Juliet, while her Romeo is a rally truck.
“I must say I came into it expecting it to be really silly, but it was really good. I really liked it," said Maia Maisate, a spectator, after the show.
A disused limestone quarry in the Estonian countryside is the backdrop as more than a dozen vehicles, including city buses, fire engines, a lorry and a cement truck with hearts painted on it, drive around in front of makeshift viewer stands.
Two excavators waved their mechanical arms at each other threateningly in a recreation of the fatal sword fight between Tybalt and Mercutio, and a car was thrown from a cliff.
“I would still say that even though it was cars, it felt really sweet and cute. Like when you had the scene where the cars were, you would assume, kissing, the energy was captured really well. The sweetness and the love," said Maia Pussim, another spectator.
The production, which continues until Sunday, is without dialogue, although it is accompanied by fireworks and music, including the track "Lovefool" by Swedish group The Cardigans.
"It's basically a big experiment about what it means to do Shakespeare today and whether we can find new ways to do it," said co-director Paavo Piik of Kinoteater, which put on the play.
"We wanted to be very gentle with these big machines. This contrast is interesting for us. Is it possible to deliver emotions like love (with big vehicles)?"
(Reporting by Janis Laizans. Writing by Andrius Sytas; editing by Barbara Lewis)
The production features a cast of vehicles, including a red Ford pickup as Juliet, to tell Shakespeare's story.
Spectators found the performance surprisingly good, with one stating it was 'really sweet and cute' despite the use of cars.
The show is without dialogue but is enhanced by fireworks and music, including the song 'Lovefool' by The Cardigans.
Co-director Paavo Piik described it as an experiment to explore new ways to present Shakespeare and evoke emotions with large vehicles.
The performance takes place in a disused limestone quarry in the Estonian countryside, providing a dramatic backdrop.
Explore more articles in the Headlines category
