It is a rare event when I enjoy the modernization of any legend, story, novel, or artistic work of any kind. However, the production of “Tristan and Yseult” at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre falls into that scant category.

The legend of Tristan and Yseult is kind of a Romeo and Juliet type story, with less death and more maritime travel. The basic plotline involves Tristan, a French knight, journeying across the world to find Yseult, an Irish princess, for his uncle King Mark (who wants to claim her for his own after his defeat of her brother, Irish knight Morholt). After he finds her, they accidentally both drink the love potion Yseult meant for King Mark, and fall in love; thereafter the story becomes a tale of forbidden love, ending, as usual, in tragedy. Typical. King Mark discovers their affair and banishes them, but the potion’s effects eventually wear off and they part ways. Tristan marries another woman, but gets mortally wounded; Yseult is the only one who can heal him so he sends for her, instructing his friend to fly white sails if the boat is carrying her and black sails if she isn’t coming. Tristan’s wife lies to him and tells him that the sails are black, and he dies of grief. Yseult arrives soon after and also dies over his body.

While this sounds like a rehashing of yet another story of love, death, and clichés, this part modern, part medieval adaptation brings hilarity as well as emotion to this olden tale. The opening battle scene between King Mark and Morholt involved men in suits, violence, and blood reminiscent of a Tarantino movie. Several characters were “lovespotters,” who sported strange headgear, windbreakers, and high-pitched, tandem voices, who comment on and engage in much of the action. One of them kept conspicuously quick-changing into Brangian, Yseult’s handmaid, complete with drag and a falsetto voice, and then making comedic, lithe leaps onto the stage using a trampoline, often flying off the stage onto a mattress.

The most incredible scene of the play, in my opinion, was the scene after Tristan and Yseult drink the love potion and get drunk off sweet wine. They are supposedly on a ship, and the set reflects that by the set of pulleys and ropes that symbolize the sails. The two titular characters then proceed to kiss while dangling and swinging from the ropes and pulleys, and perform acrobatic Spiderman kisses that far surpass Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst’s.

Throughout the show, the audience was invited to become involved. Each member was given a white balloon at the beginning, and was then asked to blow them up and release them without tying them during the wedding scene. The audience was also asked to participate in making the wedding toast to Yseult and King Mark, and when they did not perform it satisfactorily, were told off by one of the characters (one man in the front row was told, “You, you’ve been bloody asleep half the play!”).

I am also very glad that my friend and I didn’t leave during intermission, because the actor playing Tristan came on stage in a windbreaker and, with the accompaniment of the live band, performed a jazzed-out version of “I’m Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO, as well as “I Want You Back” by Jackson 5. All in all, this was far better than the $6 pack of peanut M&Ms that is usually the highlight of most intermissions.

I highly recommend this modern legend, and encourage you to buy tickets immediately. However, be warned, do not go with a burgeoning romance of yours, because the play has a definitive stance on the ephemeral nature of such trysts.

Tristan and Yseult is at the Roda Theater on Addison St., and will be there until January 6. Purchase your tickets here!

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