Exploring Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet - Act 2 Scene 2

Watch as Romeo (Rupert Evans) surprises Juliet (Morven Christie) at her window.

Director interview (Nancy Meckler)

Find out what inspired Nancy's use of rituals and the play-within-a-play staging for Romeo and Juliet.

Performance photo gallery

Feuding Sicilian villagers hold a ceasefire to perform Romeo and Juliet - explore Nancy Meckler's 2006 production.

Rehearsal photo gallery

Join the Romeo and Juliet company behind the scenes at a warm-up and workshops on improvisation and mask-work.

Teachers' notes [PDF 370K]

Activities for teaching Romeo and Juliet, based on RSC rehearsal room practice. (You need PDF reader software.)

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Voice workshop

Warming up - stretches open the ribcage to improve breathing.

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-02-20
Copyright: © RSC 2006

The players are given a card unseen which they hold to their head. Players move around, reacting according to others' status (higher number = higher status) but never revealing anyone's number. This helps actors to understand how characters interact.

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-02-21
Copyright: © RSC 2006

Improvisation workshop

Two teams number themselves and wait on opposite sides. A cloth is placed in the middle. The leader calls out a number � they must try to steal the cloth and get back without being touched by their opponent. This warms up the body and the mind!

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-02-22
Copyright: © RSC 2006

Mask workshop

Rupert improvises stealing a magazine from Caroline. Because the expression on the mask doesn't change, the actors have to use their body to communicate. This is a useful for theatre, where the audience may not be able to see facial expressions.

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-02-23
Copyright: © RSC 2006

Rehearsing a servants' scene

Chris Davies runs with a cloth, suggesting the busy atmosphere in the Capulet household. Everyone rehearsed this scene even though, in the production, they may not be in it. This approach means that the whole team helps create the right atmosphere.

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-02-24
Copyright: © RSC 2006

Morven Christie in rehearsal

Morven rehearses the scene where Juliet has just taken the poison.

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-02-25
Copyright: © RSC 2006

Rehearsing a servants' scene

Sorcha Cusack rehearses activities on the morning of Juliet's wedding. Lots of movement in this scene, with actors bringing props on and off, helps create a busy atmosphere.

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-02-26
Copyright: © RSC 2006

Looking at props

Morven Christie and Rupert Evans look through a selection of props - rosary beads and a clothes brush. Often clothes, shoes and props will be used in rehearsals to help actors get into character.

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-02-27
Copyright: © RSC 2006

In rehearsal

Nicholas Day, Caroline Wildi and Morven Christie rehearse the scene where Romeo has been banished and Juliet is told she will marry Paris.

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-02-28
Copyright: © RSC 2006

Using clothes to get in character

Morven Christie (Juliet) and Sorcha Cusack (Nurse) rehearse a scene. Morven is wearing a dress over her clothes to give her a sense of how wearing a dress changes how she might move or behave.

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-03-01

Improvising a servants' scene

This section of a servants' scene was cut! Here, the actors are improvising activities taking place in the Capulet household on the morning of Juliet's wedding.

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-03-02

Improvisation workshop

Rupert Evans and Joseph Millson (Much Ado company) Players react in an 'extreme' way (eg: hysteria, despair), arriving at a reaction together. This encourages actors to engage with extremes so they can 'tone down' emotions and use them in character.

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-03-03

Mask workshop

In their chosen mask, actors stand in front of the whole group and are 'interviewed' by the leader. Actors must answers without speaking. Here, Jamie Ballard is communicating his answers through body language.

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-03-04

Improvisation workshop

Players must try to steal a cloth and get back to their side of the room without being touched by their opponent. Often players freeze in the middle of the room and then try to outwit each other.

Act and Scene
Credit: Ellie Kurttz
Date: 2005-03-05