The 'telling the story using tableaux' section is suitable for all ages and levels, particularly KS2-4.
To familiarise students with the text, establish the story and the correct sequence of events
To inspire students to think visually
To promote effective and creative teamwork
To encourage students to speak words from the play
To engage in physical theatre skills
1. Split the class into groups (NB: every student must participate and appear in each picture).
2. Hand each group a photocopy of the list of tableaux.
3. Ask them to work their way through the list, creating a tableaux for each bullet point.
4. Encourage each group to caption their tableaux, either using their own words or quotations from the text.
5. Each group should present their versions to the rest of the class.
6. Tableaux can prove useful starting points for other work, because they offer a structure. Using the bullet points below will also help students to sequence events correctly. Once the story has been established, you might like to encourage students to:
improvise their own shortened versions of the play
use physical theatre to tell the story of Romeo and Juliet
devise their own scripts etc.
Please click here to download a printable version of the 31 tableaux below.
1. In Verona there are two families, the Montagues and Capulets, who have hated each other for years [NB in the play, no reason is given for the feud]
2. One day Capulet servants start a fight with Montague servants in the streets of Verona (it all begins when Sampson bites his thumb at Abram). It turns into a big brawl.
3. Prince Escalus stops the fighting and forbids both Capulets and Montagues to fight again.
4. Romeo, only son of the Montagues, is hopelessly in love with a girl called Rosaline. His cousin, Benvolio, tries to cheer him up.
5. Capulet has plans that Count Paris, a wealthy relative of the Prince, will marry Juliet. Capulet organises a huge party at which Paris and Juliet will meet and see if they like each other.
6. Romeo's friend Mercutio is invited to the Capulet's ball. Mercutio and Benvolio persuade Romeo to go to the party. Romeo agrees, hoping to see Rosaline there.
7. At the Capulet's party, Romeo sees Juliet and falls instantly in love with her and she with him.
8. Both Romeo and Juliet are distraught on learning they've fallen in love with the only child of their great enemy.
9. After the party, Romeo risks his life climbing into the Capulet's garden and up to the balcony of Juliet's bedroom to tell her how much he loves her.
10. With the help of Juliet's Nurse, Romeo and Juliet are secretly married the next day by Friar Lawrence.
11. Immediately after the (secret) wedding, Juliet's cousin Tybalt quarrels with Mercutio.
12. Romeo enters and tries, unsuccessfully, to stop them fighting.
13. Tybalt fatally injures Mercutio "under Romeo's arm".
14. Romeo avenges his friend's death by killing Tybalt.
15. The Capulets arrive and call for Romeo to be killed.
16. Prince Escalus banishes Romeo to Mantua.
17. Romeo spends the night with Juliet before fleeing to Mantua.
18. Juliet learns that her parents have arranged for her to marry Count Paris the next day.
19. Distraught, Juliet turns to Friar Lawrence, who devises a plan.
20. Friar Lawrence gives Juliet a drug which will make her appear to be dead.
21. Friar Lawrence writes to Romeo to tell him of the plan and gives the letter to another Friar, John.
22. Alone in her bedroom, Juliet takes the drug.
23. The Nurse discovers her and thinks she is dead.
24. The Capulets bury Juliet in the family tomb.
25. Romeo doesn't get Friar Lawrence's letter. Instead he hears that Juliet is dead.
26. Romeo buys poison from an apothecary.
27. Romeo goes to the Capulet tomb where he finds Paris.
28. Romeo kills Paris.
29. Romeo enters the tomb, finds Juliet apparently dead and drinks the poison.
30. Juliet wakes up, finds Romeo dead and stabs herself.
31. The families vow to end their feud.