WHAT IF THE CHARACTERS IN ROMEO AND JULIET WERE PLAYED BY HEAVY MACHINERY?

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has been adapted in countless ways, but Estonia’s Kinoteater may have found the most unconventional twist yet — replacing actors with trucks and heavy machinery.

Billed as “a tragedy of motors,” Romula ja Julia unfolds in a junkyard framed by the dramatic backdrop of a Rummu limestone quarry. In this high-octane retelling, Romeo is portrayed by a rally truck, Juliet by a red Ford pickup, and the rest of the cast includes firetrucks, buses, and even a cement truck adorned with painted hearts. Ten drivers, two mechanics, and a pyrotechnics expert bring the mechanical love story to life.

The nearly wordless production uses spinning, leaping, and even “kissing” vehicles to convey emotion, accompanied by music and bursts of fireworks. With just six performances, this inventive reimagining invites audiences to see Shakespeare’s tragedy through roaring engines and clouds of dust.