Schoolchildren perform with Royal Shakespeare Company

Part of a 12-week tour of schools and regional theatres across the English regions, the show will be performed at Silhouette Youth Theatre (Weston Favell Shopping Centre) on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 February before moving to Abingdale Primary School (6 and 7 February) and onto The Core at Corby Cube on the 9 and 10 February.

At each venue alonside the professional RSC actors, ten local school children will also perform as the Prince's Counsel in a reimagining of the Prince of Verona's role. RSC First Encounters with Shakespeare productions are aimed at new and younger audiences and this take on Romeo and Juliet has been directed by Trybe House Theatre Artistic Director, Philip J Morris using an abridged version of the script edited by Dramaturg, Robin Belfield.

The show opened on Tuesday 30 January before travelling to Northamptonshire. Once it leaves Northamptonshire, the production will then tour to Norwich, Cornwall, Bradford, Newcastle upon Tyne, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Stratford-upon-Avon, Hull, Nottingham, Stoke-on-Trent and Skegness, during the week of Shakespeare’s Birthday celebrations, before culminating in Peterborough on the 26 April 2024.

The cast includes a number of actors making their RSC debuts, including Campbell Wallaceand Zensi Alleyne who take on the title roles of Romeo and Juliet respectively. Campbell’s theatre credits include Lord of the Flies (Empire Theatre) and Macbeth (Richard Burton Theatre). As a recent drama school graduate, Zensi’s credits include filmed short Girls will be Girls directed by Isabel Steuble-John. Chloe Fenwick-Brown performs for the RSC for the first time as Benvolio and Dinarte Gouveia takes on the dual roles of Tybalt and Paris.Chloe, who also recently graduated from drama school, appeared in King Lear (West End) and Dinarte’s TV and theatre credits include Doctors (BBC) and Black Swans (Edinburgh Fridge).

Also joining the RSC for the first time, Qasim Mahmood will play both Mercutio and the Prince with Thomas Vernal as Lord Capulet and Friar John. Qasim’s previous theatre credits include Tartuffe (Birmingham Rep) and One Man, Two Guvnors (Liverpool Everyman / Bolton Octagon / Theatre By The Lake). Thomas’s credits include The Book of Mormon (UK & International Tour) and The Wizard of Oz (The Birmingham Rep). Returning to the RSC is Caitlin Drake in the roles of the Nurse and Lady Capulet, whose previous RSC credits include Boundless as the Sea and Miss Littlewood in partnership with Cunard. And taking on the role of Friar Laurence, Orlando Wells returns to the RSC for the fourth time (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello and Antony and Cleopatra). His other theatre credits include The History Boys (National Theatre) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Sheffield Crucible) with film credits including The King’s Speech, Midsummer Madness and Wilde.

Young people from RSC Associate Schools will also have a number of other opportunities to get involved with some having already attended a two-day workshop in Stratford-upon-Avon shadowing RSC technical and production teams as part of the RSC’s Next Generation Backstage talent development initiative. Working alongside and supporting the RSC technical and creative teams, they will then get to put those news skills into practice when the tour arrives at their school or local theatre.

Introducing a new Verona with a nod to old Italy, the modern-day costume and shape-shifting scenery will provide a dynamic, contemporary backdrop for the action. After a chance meeting at a gate-crashed party brings Romeo and Juliet together, the world around them melts away. Then, as they come to realise that a long-standing feud between their two families means they will never be allowed to stay together, they hatch a plan to escape the lives they were born to with tragic consequences. Exploring the pressures of time, conformity and the intensity of adolescence, Morris’s production examines themes of innocence, indoctrination and ignorance.

Following the success of last year’s sell-out First Encounters tour ofTwelfth Night, First Encounters: Romeo & Juliet brings Shakespeare’s star cross’d lovers up to date for a new generation of theatregoers.

Commenting on the production, Director, Philip J Morris, said:

“As relevant today as it was 400 years ago, the play’s enduring appeal lies in its subject matter; from the intoxication of first love to the tension between misguidedallegiances and rebellion. The impulse of youth and pressure to choose sides leads to a loss of life that is a familiar narrative today with youth violence on the rise and record numbers of young people seeking support for their mental health. These are some of the most challenging but persistent issues of our time and we hope that our production can help shine a light on the need to engage in difficult but urgent conversations.”

The show’s creative team includes Philip J Morris (Director), Ebrahim Nazier (Designer), Benjamin Kwasi Burrell (Music), Martin Poile (Casting Director) and Robin Belfield (Dramaturg).

Full ticketing information will be updated via the RSC’s website www.rsc.org.uk.