Charlie and Natasha Solomons (Fair Rosaline) discuss Natasha's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, told from the perspective of Rosaline, wherein Romeo is a groomer and Juliet must be saved from him. We discuss as well Natasha's stylistic choices for her prose and the changes she made to the original ending.

Please note that there is a lot of discussion of sexually predatory behaviour and some explicit language in this episode.

A transcript is available on my site

General references:
Mark Scott's rephrasing of Charles Dibdin's argument can be found in his 1987 publication, Shakespearean Criticism, page 419
Susan Calman's audiobook version of Pamela Butchart's To Wee Or Not To Wee

Books mentioned by name or extensively:
Natasha Solomons: Mr Rosenblum's List
Natasha Solomons: I, Mona Lisa
Natasha Solomons: Fair Rosaline
Pamela Butchart: To Wee Or Not To Wee
Ros Barber: The Marlowe Papers

Buy the books: UK || USA

Release details: recorded 28th November 2023; published 13th May 2024

Where to find Natasha online: Twitter || Instagram

Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok

Discussions

01:39 The inspiration for Fair Rosaline - Natasha's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet as being darker than it's portrayed
06:18 How we never see Rosaline in the original, and how Natasha changes this
07:01 Shakespeare's own thoughts on his characters, and Natasha's interpretations here
10:29 How Natasha borrowed from other Shakespearean Rosalines and Rosalinds
16:32 The importance of Juliet and her relative relevance in the book, and how Natasha considered different types of readers when she wrote
19:39 We start talking about the changes Natasha makes to the ending
20:44 Romeo's copying Tybalt - the balcony and roses not being Romeo's original idea in Fair Rosaline
21:57 The theme of roses and thorns
24:54 How Natasha wrote her prose - similar but not the same as Shakespeare's
28:12 How Natasha changes (or, as she says, 'made it more explicit') Friar Lawrence
32:45 The men being in on it
34:17 The importance of the convent and the theme of women's freedom
40:25 Tybalt's death and why Natasha made the choices she did
42:29 How Natasha wrote with her young daughter beside her on Zoom in lockdown
44:34 What Natasha's writing now: Cleopatra, with the Shakespearean influence again
47:18 There will be a play of Fair Rosaline!

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