Transforming Romeo and Juliet in a Juvenile Detention Centre in Italy: A decolonising approach to Prison Shakespeare

Abstract

This article examines an Italian Prison Shakespeare initiative based at the Cesare Beccaria juvenile detention centre in Milan and  facilitated by the University of Milan and the theatre company Puntozero in 2022. In particular, it focuses on the young inmates’  reappropriation and recontextualisation of Romeo and Juliet, arguing that the structure of the 2022 workshops and final play allows for  the empowerment of the participants, decentring the problematic authority of Shakespeare. Through the exploration of a case study that  exemplifies a decolonising approach to Shakespeare in the marginal(ised) context of prison, my discussion ultimately invites  reflection on the alleged ‘transformative’ aims and impact of Prison Shakespeare.