Romeo and Juliet - Stratford Upon Avon Tickets

The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon stages one of the most famous romantic tragedies of all time this year as Shakespeare’s classic “Romeo and Juliet” makes its way to the stage once more. This time the production appears under the direction of Rupert Goold, who recently took home the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director after helming “Enron” at the Chichester Festival Theatre and the Royal Court.

Goold is the current Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company and has previously directed “The Tempest” or the group in 2006 and “Speaking Like Magpies” in 2005. His other credits include “Rough Crossings” at the Lyric Hammersmith in 2007, “Six Characters in Search of an Author” at the Gielgud Theatre in 2008 and “King Lear” at the Young Vic Theatre in 2008.

In “Romeo and Juliet”, Sam Troughton and Mariah Gale take on the iconic roles as members of two warring families in the city of Verona. Romeo is the Montague son whose eyes are on Rosaline at the start of the play, whose rejection leads him to secretly attend a Capulet party where he spots Juliet, the beautiful Capulet daughter. The two fall instantly in love but it must remain secret through fear of the consequences, which prove to be devastating.

When Romeo’s friend Mercutio is killed at the hands of Tybalt Capulet, he seeks a form of revenge that leads to his banishment from Verona, with Juliet seemingly being pushed into a marriage she does not want. But with some help Juliet concocts a plan that can help them be together forever – a plan that famously leads to tragic results.

“Romeo and Juliet” is a play that has been witnessed through countless generations across more than four centuries, making it one of the most famous and influential pieces of theatre of all time. Believed to have been penned in the 1590s, it has been adapted for the stage on numerous occasions, with screen versions bringing the story to new audiences up until the modern day. Perhaps the most famous contemporary screen version is the Baz Luhrmann-directed production seen in the 1990s – a role that, alongside “Titanic”, made Leonardo DiCaprio into a star. Now it arrives once again at the Courtyard Theatre, with the Royal Shakespeare Company putting it into the capable hands of Rupert Goold.

“Romeo and Juliet” appears at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from Friday 12th March 2010 until Friday 27th August 2010.