Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet takes centre stage at the Swan Theatre!

20 September 2023

There’s only a couple of weeks to go until the Worcester Repertory Company performs their main stage production, William Shakespeare’s timeless classic, Romeo and Juliet. The Worcester Rep have been working hard over the last few weeks as they get ready to bring one of the Bard’s most exhilarating plays to the Swan Theatre stage. Audiences can expect Shakespeare with a groovy twist, as the company brings this renowned love story into the era of peace and love, the swinging 60s.

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays and is loved by so many for its themes of romance and tragedy, continuing to captivate audiences to this day. The story follows the rebellious lovers Romeo and Juliet, whose families are at war with one another. As their love blossoms, violence erupts between the two households and reaches a boiling point forcing the lovers to take drastic measures to stay together. If you want to discover the lover’s cursed fate, head to the Swan Theatre to see this tragic tale come to life.

This dramatic and gripping production will be directed by Owen Harper, who also directed the Worcester Repertory Company last year in Antigone. Not only will this show feature a talented cast of professional actors from the Worcester Rep, it will also bring together Worcester Theatre’s Young Rep and People’s Rep to perform alongside them. This makes Romeo & Juliet the second pro-am (professional and amateur) production to come from the Worcester Repertory Company and after the success of last year, we’re excited to see what they will bring to the table.

When speaking with Director, Owen Harper he said

“Rehearsals have been amazing so far and the further we delve into this story, the more I fall in love with Shakespeare’s play and the more I discover its humour. Romeo and Juliet is timeless, which is why it works in any era and it is especially fun to play with the themes of Shakespeare’s story in the context of the 60s which was all about love, peace and youthful rebellion. Working together with our community cast, our Young Rep and the Worcester Rep once again has been incredibly rewarding and I cannot wait for audiences to see what we have in store this October.”

The Worcester Repertory Company will be welcoming back to its professional cast, Rob Holman as Friar Laurence, who previously played Kreon in the production of Antigone and Lucky Eric in Bouncers this Spring. The star-crossed lovers will be played by Matt Lockett as Romeo and Livvi Parsons as Juliet joined by Corrina McDermott, as the Nurse.

Romeo & Juliet will be performed at the Swan Theatre from Wednesday 4th – Saturday 7th October, with evening performances, a Saturday matinee and two audio-described performances. We wish the Worcester Rep, the Young Rep and the People’s Rep the best of luck and are excited to see this infamous tale of love and tragedy brought to life.

For more information and to book, head to www.worcestertheatres.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01905 611 427.