THE Lyric Theatre is gearing up for the return of a perennial theatre favourite: Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeare’s classic story of two star-crossed lovers and their feuding families will run from Saturday 4 Feb to Sunday 5 March 2023.
The cast of 16 will be directed by Philip Crawford with Adam Gillian as Romeo and Emma Dougan as Juliet.
Romeo Montague is completely obsessed with Rosaline, but his love is unrequited. At a party, he falls head-over-heels in love with the hosts’ daughter, Juliet Capulet. This time, his love is reciprocated. But their love-story isn’t easy. Their families are arch-rivals in the city of Verona and if their relationship is to flourish, secrecy is vital.
This contemporary setting of the story, with Shakespeare’s original text, takes audiences to Verona summer of 2022 in the world of Italian high fashion, with Lady Montague and Lady Capulet propelled to the forefront as the leading designers for two rival fashion houses. The play has been adapted by dramaturg Dr Anne Bailie to create a fresh and modern version of this classic tale.
The Lyric production will also subtly highlight themes from the play that resonate strongly with young people today: relationships, mental health issues and the tragic decision of the young lovers to take their own lives.
No cause why does tiktok have the ability to make me wanna watch like any movie I see a good edit for cause like now I wanna watch the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet pic.twitter.com/z4QSj3Ea2l
— Willow (@Daemyra_) December 24, 2022
The production will be accompanied by workshops, designed in conjunction with a number of relevant local charities, in schools and youth groups to further discuss and provide support on these issues.
Jimmy Fay, Executive Producer Lyric Theatre, said: "We are delighted to open 2023 with Shakespeare’s classic story Romeo and Juliet.
"Directed by the brilliant Philip Crawford, who recently picked up a UK Theatre Award for his work in our creative learning department, we are delighted to welcome such a wealth of talent onto our stage.
"While love is at the core of the play, this production presents an opportunity to explore the range of themes affecting young people today which we are committed to doing through our outreach programme.”
Romeo and Juliet, Chinese version. Credit: Douyin pic.twitter.com/8URumVyBYO
— TIAN Yuzhen田玉震 (@eugenioT14) December 24, 2022
Director of Romeo and Juliet, Philip Crawford added: “"You don’t need to be an academic to enjoy Shakespeare; he writes terrific stories with well-drawn characters engaged in gripping plots. I hope our audiences will agree when they see the show.”
Tickets for Romeo and Juliet start from £12 and are available to book now from the Lyric box office.
