Boulard, Florence, and Hansen, Claire (2025) Pierre Gope’s Reimagined Romeo and Juliet in Kanaky-New Caledonia. In: Largeaud-Ortega, Sylvie, and Gonschor, Lorenz, (eds.) Mysteries and Dreams: the French in Oceania. Critical Media Studies . Vernon Press, Wilmington, DE, USA, pp. 163-192.

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on Kanaky-New Caledonian culture by drawing critical attention to the island’s theatrical and performing arts histories. Through the perspective of postcolonial ecocritical Shakespeare studies, the authors examined how Kanaky-New Caledonian theatre appropriates Shakespeare to express and articulate local socio-political, cultural, historical and environmental issues. In particular, it explores how the specific reimagining of Shakespeare in Kanaky-New Caledonia illuminates cultural entanglements with place, gender, politics, race and identity. After contextualising Shakespeare within the country’s performing arts histories, this chapter offers a case study analysis of a Kanaky-New Caledonian Shakespeare production of La nouvelle et sublime histoire de Roméo et Juliette adapted by director and playwright Pierre Gope and directed by José Renault for a 2007 production. We argue that this adaptation by Pierre Gope’s Roméo et Juliette, enables a playful exploration of community tensions in Kanaky-New Caledonia through an enmeshing of Shakespeare’s symbolism with contemporary, local concerns. The findings from this study challenge the cultural hegemony and stereotypical imagery often associated with indigenous Arts in Oceania. This study addresses a gap in knowledge and points to numerous opportunities for future research on Kanaky-New Caledonian theatre and Shakespeare in the Pacific islands.

Item ID:	85940
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	979-8-8819-0300-8
Copyright Information:	Copyright © 2025 by the Authors.
Date Deposited:	26 Aug 2025 22:26
FoR Codes:	36 CREATIVE ARTS AND WRITING > 3604 Performing arts > 360403 Drama, theatre and performance studies @ 50% 45 INDIGENOUS STUDIES > 4513 Pacific Peoples culture, language and history > 451313 Pacific Peoples music and performing arts @ 50%
SEO Codes:	13 CULTURE AND SOCIETY > 1301 Arts > 130104 The performing arts @ 100%
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