This summer one of the greatest love stories of all time will explode onto the streets of Guildford. For three weeks, celebrating their 18th birthday, Guildford Shakespeare Company is closing the High Street every evening to bring to life the passion and excitement of Shakespeare’s epic star-crossed lovers, Romeo & Juliet. Throughout one of the UK’s most beautiful high streets, audiences will be immersed in Shakespeare’s gripping tale of love and sacrifice.
Featuring the iconic Guildhall balcony, historic Abbot’s Hospital, stylish Tunsgate Quarter and more, audiences will follow the action through Guildford as the story unfolds, ending in the stunning Castle Gardens. GSC’s professional cast will also be joined by a Community Ensemble of adults and young people. Putting the show on the High Street and using iconic local landmarks will bring an immediacy to this 400-year-old story. Site-responsive shows enable audiences to interact with their shared space in a completely new, accessible and exciting way.
Director of Romeo & Juliet and GSC Co-Founder Matt Pinches comments, Bringing Shakespeare’s great love story to the actual streets of Guildford is a thrilling prospect. It’s a story bursting with passion, with hope, and with heart. Embracing our site-responsive approach imbues Shakespeare’s story with immediacy and energy, and I hope that audiences will feel swept up in the same whirlwind of excitement as these two young people find themselves. I’m so proud to be directing this show for our 18th birthday. To be closing the High Street for 3 weeks; using multiple iconic venues; two incredible community ensembles; and a brilliantly talented professional cast and creative team; is, I hope, the perfect way to celebrate the unifying power that theatre, both making and going, wields.
In addition to the professional cast, GSC has created two ensembles to help bring to life the world of Verona. The Youth Ensemble will play the street gangs of the Capulets and Montagues. Coming from local schools and GSC’s drama clubs, they will populate the opening scene of the play and the closing scene of the first half.
The young people in this ensemble come from four local schools and colleges, two of which have some of the least advantaged children in their community. They are joined by GSC’s Saturday Drama Club and Drama Club for Young Carers. The Adult Ensemble will play the guests at the Capulet masked ball and have come from many different routes to the show. Some are amateur actors, some trained many years ago and have switched careers, some just love Shakespeare, and some just want to be part of something exciting.
Alongside the main production GSC are also creating a knife crime awareness programme. The company are visiting the schools who are part of the Youth Ensemble with special awareness workshops, whilst the GSC Saturdays drama group are creating a Forum Theatre event for public performance and discussion on 3rd July, with guest speakers in attendance. More info to follow.
The full cast will be announced in due course.
