Shakespeare Globe

Romeo & Juliet

by William Shakespeare

Production now closed

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**** 'Dromgoole is blessed with a smashing pair of young lovers. Adetomiwa Edun's Romeo is fresh, cheeky, light on his feet and full of the ebullience of young love... The production's secret weapon is Ellie Kendrick... delivers the jewelled verse with a lovely purity and directness. I particularly admired Rawiri Paratene's impassioned Friar Lawrence, Ian Redford as a Capulet, and Tom Stuart's hilarious performance as a socially inept Count Paris' Daily Telegraph

**** 'Powerfully conveys the play's spirit of reckless vitality... Music is woven into the action, enhancing the atmosphere and poignantly underscoring the shifting moods... The performances shine. The cast delivers the language lightly and lucidly, savouring the smut and singing the lyricism' The Mail on Sunday

**** 'Most spectacular of London’s theatrical venues... Philip Cumbus’ Mercutio is an especially wonderful creation... Dromgoole masterfully orchestrates the play's shifts in tone and pace' Time Out

'Dromgoole has got his fourth season in charge of the Globe off to an absorbing start... Conveys a winning sense of young hearts adrift' The Times

'As Juliet, Ellie Kendrick does bold things, making you reconsider the "what's in a name?" speech simply by putting the emphasis on "in". Adetomiwa Edun's Romeo is lithe in foot and speech; he reels you in. Their romance is given wings by snatches of music, it's given edge by some of the best let's-take-the-stage fights. The audience were rapt but responsive' Observer

'Edun and Kendrick bring a freshness and vivacity to their parts... Lively, clear and peppered with witty touches' Financial Times

'Edun is an athletic Romeo with magnetism, and Kendrick has plenty of pluck as Juliet. I much admire the emphasis on getting the story told rather than faffing about with directorial concepts' Sunday Telegraph

A violent street brawl between their rival families is the prelude to Romeo’s first encounter with Juliet. Despite this, and the fact that Juliet has been promised to another man in marriage, they fall in love. But any plans for their future happiness are cruelly destroyed by renewed violence between the two families – and while the adults remain almost comically preoccupied with their own affairs, among their children a hidden tragedy begins to unfold.

With its wonderful combination of lyricism, suspense and dramatic changes of mood, Shakespeare’s heartbreaking tale is one of the greatest of all love stories.

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