Capulet Electric Company carries goods between Stratford-upon-Avon and Verona in Italy. Outward cargoes comprise mostly locally written play scripts and Purity bitter, return journeys carry Italian sleeping potions, other apothecary products and conchiglioni pasta.
History
The trade between Stratford and Verona was originally conceived by a local man who ran “Bill’s Boats” on the Avon at Stratford in the 1580’s. The venture was short-lived as the proprietor gave up boating to pursue a career in play writing. The Royal Shakespeare Company theatre now stands on the site of his original boatyard.
Capulet Electric Company was established in 1597 anticipating the discovery of electricity in 1600 and the invention of the electric motor in 1834.
Nowadays the company runs Jouliet between Stratford and Verona, occasionally accompanied by the butty ‘Rohmeo’ recently purchased from the Italian boat maker Montague & Co.
Lit. notes:
- Capulet Electric Company is fictional, and Stratford to Verona is quite a long way.
- In fact Jouliet does carry Purity bitter and conchiglioni pasta, but only in moderate quantities for the consumption of the crew.
- 1597 was the year that William (Bill} Shakespeare wrote the play Romeo and Juliet, featuring the feud between the families of Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague.
- There is no proof that Bill’s Boats ever existed, and even less that the theatre was built on that site.
- There is general agreement that William Shakespeare left Stratford upon Avon for London and became a renowned playwright.
- Butty Rohmeo is fictional and has yet to be built.
- Jouliet was designed and built by Ortomarine near Droitwich and launched in August 2022.
- The name Jouliet is a play on the name of the Sf unit of energy, the joule. It recognises the role of electrical battery storage used in electric boats.
- The name Rohmeo is a play on the name of the Sf unit of electrical resistance, the ohm.
