A gatecrashed party. A chance meeting. Love at first sight. This 90-minute version of Romeo and Juliet uses an edited version of the original language to create the perfect introduction to Shakespeare.
'My bounty is as boundless as the sea. My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have for both are infinite'
When Romeo meets Juliet, the worlds around them melts away. But then reality kicks in; their families are enemies, and they will never be allowed to stay together.
With the world against them, they hatch a plan to escape the lives they were born into. But fate has other ideas.
This 90-minute version of Romeo and Juliet, edited by Robin Belfield and directed by Philip J Morris made Shakespeare's star cross'd lovers relevant for a new generation of theatregoers.
First Encounters: Romeo and Juliet toured from January to April 2024.
Venues for the tour in 2024 included: Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, Silhouette Youth Theatre in Northampton, The Core at Corby Cube, Norwich Theatre Playhouse, Hall for Cornwall, Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, Northern Stage in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Middlesbrough Theatre, Hull Truck, Bonington Theatre in Nottingham, Embassy Theatre in Skegness, as well as schools and academies across the country.
