Production: ‘Literary Soundscapes’ Radio Company.
Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures of Roma Tre University (PRIN Research Project “Applied Shakespeare”)
in collaboration with Roma Tre Radio
Authors: Lucia Esposito and Maddalena Pennacchia (Directors of the ‘Literary Soundscapes’ Radio Company)
and the students of the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures of Roma Tre University
Producers: Andrea Cocco; Roma Tre Radio
Director & sound engineer: Andrea Cocco
Other key staff: Ilaria Diotallevi (acting coach)
Length A series of 5 episodes. Length of the last episode: 17 minutes
Date of 1st broadcast 13 February 2026
Synopsis:
The story is a modern and creative rewriting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It is set in Rome in 1989, the year the Berlin Wall fell, a moment of historical transition that mirrors the social and emotional tensions experienced by the younger generation. The two young protagonists attend neighbouring high schools that differ in social background and ideology: Capuleti, a conservative institute attended by affluent students, and Montecchi, where more radical and libertarian ideas circulate. Commissioner Scalussi is notified of the discovery of two bodies in the Capuleti basement and begins an investigation with the help of an Inspector and the testimonies of students and Juliet’s parents. As the inquiry unfolds, she becomes increasingly aware of the toxicity of certain family dynamics, with parents obsessed with academic achievement, and of youth conflict shaped by social labels and romantic rivalry, exposing the emotional fragility of teenagers, particularly in the absence of genuine parental support.
Each episode, apart from the first, presents a different character’s perspective, gradually revealing hidden tensions and unspoken desires. In the final episode, it emerges that Romeo, an idealistic Montecchi student, died after a violent confrontation with Paris, a brilliant yet spoiled Capuleti student unable to accept Juliet’s choice. The encounter, which took place at the school after closing time, ended in tragedy when Romeo fell during the struggle. Juliet arrived too late. Fearing she would find no comfort at home, she made a desperate decision that sealed the tragic outcome. Paris confesses his responsibility, while the truth about Juliet’s fate emerges only at the end through a moving letter addressed to her best friend.
Through a carefully crafted soundscape combining investigative atmospheres, interior monologue and shifting perspectives, the series explores the expressive potential of audio drama to render memory, testimony and emotional truth.
