Romeo and Juliet at Belgrade Theatre Coventry

Post

Subscribe

Fri 21 Feb 2025 - Sat 08 Mar 2025

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has seen many iterations over the years, and this spring, Belgrade Theatre Coventry brings a fresh twist to the classic love story with a bold new rap slant.

The project originated in workshops with young people at Coventry’s Extended Learning Centres (ELCs), where Belgrade Creative Director Corey Campbell and That’s A Rap, a Midlands-based company that applies rap to drama and are one of Belgrade’s Springboard companies, engaged with individuals excluded from mainstream education.

The sessions revealed unexpected connections to Shakespeare’s work. “Initially, we explored themes from The Last Vampire by Willis Hall,” Birmingham-born Corey explains. “It’s about a vegetarian vampire judged by his family’s reputation. The young people started reflecting on their own experiences of family expectations and judgments, which naturally led me to Romeo and Juliet. I thought ‘Could these incredible young people, who were attending every workshop despite skipping school, connect with this timeless story?’”



Romeo and Juliet, a co-production with Bristol Old Vic and Hackney Empire, brings Shakespeare’s drama into a contemporary, politically-charged world. “In our Romeo and Juliet, the Montagues and Capulets are political parties,” Corey says. “Their last names hold their factions together, igniting the streets with their rhetoric. It’s a story for today, where people feel let down by their cities, countries, or democracies. Where do you find love, support or hope when everything else fails?”

The production keeps Shakespeare’s language intact for the majority of the show, layering it with powerful new rap lyrics. Alongside That’s A Rap, Corey also collaborated with Birmingham music producer A Class to create original music that resonates with audiences.

He explains: “Music became the language of connection for the ELCs. They were singers, poets, and rappers, even if they didn’t label themselves as such. Their words communicate something fresh and powerful. Audiences can expect Shakespeare’s exact words performed hopefully in a way they’ve never seen before. It’s dynamic, there is a level of dynamism that we bring to this work, audiences will see it and feel it because there is a physical storytelling as well as the verbal storytelling.”

Romeo and Juliet are portrayed by rising stars Mia Khan, whose previous productions include Steeltown Murders and The Motive and the Cue, and Kyle Ndukuba in his professional debut. “Mia and Kyle represent the best and brightest of UK acting talent,” Corey enthuses. “Their auditions were impressive and the chemistry between them was electric. They are instinctive, intuitive performers and I’m excited to dive into this classic with them.”

Joining them will be Yasmin Wilde in the role of Friar Lawrence, Natasha Lewis playing Nurse, Asheq Akhtar as Lord Capulet, Lauren Moakes as Lady Capulet and Dillon Scott-Lewis taking the part of Mercutio.

Also in the cast are Andre Antonio playing Benvolio, Sam Gosrani as Tybalt, Elwyn Williams in the role of Paris, Ellena Vincent as Montague, Pete Ashmore playing Prince Escalus and Ayesha Patel as Rosalind.



The production features a diverse ensemble of professionals, a community choir, and young practitioners from the Belgrade Ensemble. “With just my own artistic licence, I could never have come up with the stuff that’s there in this Romeo and Juliet,” says Corey who is a graduate of Birmingham School of Acting, part of Birmingham City University. “The richness of what we found is because my board and my exec team allow me the privilege to be out in the community where I learn and get to experience things on a human level. It’s only by week-by-week engagement that these things come to fruition.”

This Romeo and Juliet offers a gateway to classical drama for new audiences. “The story’s emotional core, two people who shouldn’t love each other doing so despite the cost, remains hugely relevant." “Their love is the only thing that forces their parents, the politicians, to wake up and see that love is better than war.”

The show, designed to appeal to both first-time theatre-goers and seasoned audiences, represents Corey’s vision of making classical works accessible. “Whether you love Shakespeare or think his work is ‘not for you,’ I promise this Romeo and Juliet has something for everyone.”

The production is an integral part of Belgrade’s aim of encouraging more people into theatres to explore all forms of work. Part of that process involved the release of a short online film Romeo and Juliet: Turn and Draw in the autumn. “One of the biggest compliments we’ve had about the film is from people who believe that Shakespeare or that style of language is foreign to them, how easy they’ve found it to take in that body of work,” Corey says.

He has high hopes for the production. “I’m really excited to be putting this show on. I believe that constantly over the years at the Belgrade we have made sure that people have access to classical work, and in Romeo and Juliet we’ve found a really special unique access point. I would love for audiences that don’t usually come out to this sort of work to come and see our Romeo and Juliet. I believe this is a body of work for the first-time theatre-goer but also anybody who is a regular attendee of the theatre will still love it.”

And he adds: “I’ve seen many many great Romeo and Juliets and we’re making sure that this will be one of them.”

Belgrade Theatre Coventry hosts Romeo and Juliet between February 21 and March 8. Visit here for tickets and to watch the short online film, Romeo and Juliet: Turn and Draw.

#arts_culture
#theatre_shows
%wnbirmingham