Shakespeare’s R&J Cast and Creative Team Announced
Meet the creative team and cast bringing Joe Calarco’s Shakespeare’s R&J back to the UK!
For the first time in over 20 years, see this high voltage modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Set in a repressed boarding school, four adolescents unearth a copy of The Bard’s tale of forbidden love. As the students read the text aloud they soon discover parallels between their lives and the fate of Shakespeare’s star crossed lovers. What begins as a playful laugh soon turns into something more violent…
Award-winning actor Elijah Ferreira (Hedwig And The Angry Inch – Leeds Playhouse/Manchester Home) will return to Reading Rep Theatre for the production, having played the roles of Young Scrooge and Fred in their 2022 remount of Beth Flintoff’s retelling of A Christmas Carol.
Ferreira will be joined in the cast by Luke Daniels (Youth and the Young Person – Reading Rep, Penetration – The Cockpit), Brayden Emmanuel (You & Me – ITV, DNA – New Wolsey Theatre) and Tom Sowinski (Million Dollar Quartet – NCL, Cilla – The Musical – UK and Ireland Tour).
Reading Rep Theatre’s Founding Artistic Director Paul Stacey will direct the play, and will be joined on the creative team by Chris Cuming (A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Reading Rep, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – UK Tour) as Movement Director.
Paul Stacey said of today’s announcement “I can’t wait for audiences to see this epic story of forbidden love turned on its head. This modern adaption shakes off the cobwebs many associate with Shakespeare and allows us to see the text anew. We are very excited to welcome our talented cast to Reading Rep and it’s a pleasure to have Elijah and Luke back on our main stage.”
Anna Kelsey (The Wicker Husband – The Watermill Theatre, Indecent Proposal – Southwark Playhouse) as Designer, John Rainsforth (Some Enchanted Evening – Barn Theatre & Tour, Chop, Dissolve, Burn – Alphabetti Theatre) as Lighting Designer, Jamie Lu (Hedda Gabler – Reading Rep, Tokyo Rose – Southwark Playhouse & UK Tour) as Sound Designer and Sarah Harkins (Jekyll & Hyde – Reading Rep) as Casting Director.
Shakespeare’s R&J opens on 11 October until 4 November
Tickets from just £5
