A Shakespeare North Playhouse and Graeae co-production in association with Theatre by the Lake. Directed by Jenny Sealey.
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“Love is heavy and light, bright and dark, hot and cold, sick and healthy, asleep and awake – it is everything except what it is.”
Against all odds, a young couple fall in love.
An intense, vibrant love that burns and ignites a powder keg within communities already smoldering with tension. Tragic misunderstandings follow, with deadly consequences.
You think you know how this story goes, and who this couple is?
Maybe you do… Maybe you don’t.
This beautiful retelling of Shakespeare’s eternal love story seamlessly weaves BSL, Captions and Audio Description into the storytelling. Each show is performed in a relaxed environment by an incredible ensemble of Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent actors.
Romeo and Juliet is a collaboration between Graeae and Shakespeare North Playhouse, in association with Theatre by the Lake. Join us as we celebrate differences, challenge preconceptions and shine a light on what ultimately brings us together – love.
Watch our trailer
Two families... Montagues and Capulets
Meet
Our Cast
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Reece Pantry
Reece Pantry
Screen credits include the roles of BILLY in THEN BARBARA MET ALAN (BBC/Netflix) and SAM in TESTAMENT (Angel Studios).
Theatre credits include OF MICE AND MEN (Birmingham Rep/Leeds Playhouse), HAPPINESS (Cervantes Theatre), THE COMEDY OF ERRORS (Maltings Theatre), WHO CARES (Just Add Milk), ONE UNDER (Graeae) and CASINO ROYALE (Secret Cinema).
You can listen to Reece on BBC Radio 4, where he plays PORGY in BESS LOVES PORGY.
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Ciaran Forrest
Ciaran Forrest
Ciaran has been a professional actor since 2018, since graduating from The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts.
Outside of acting, he is a writer with a particular focus on poetry, and his other job is self advocacy presentation around disability and autism, working for a organisation called Pathways. Ciaran also enjoys exercise and fitness, and is a passionate animal rights activist.
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Irmina St Catherine
BSL Performance Interpreter
Irmina St Catherine
BSL Performance InterpreterIrmina’s journey into the world of British Sign Language (BSL) began at a young age despite having no deaf family members. Her early interest in BSL blossomed into a passionate career. Today, Irmina is a NRCPD Registered British Sign Language Interpreter based in London. She works across various sectors, with a particular emphasis on theatre, especially in rehearsal room settings.
Irmina’s debut as an integrated interpreter is marked by her role in Romeo and Juliet. Irmina is thrilled to be a part of this innovative production that incorporates British Sign Language into the core of its storytelling. Irmina continues to contribute her expertise and passion to the performing arts, ensuring accessibility and inclusion through her work.
Theatre credits as a performance interpreter: On the Town (St Albans Theatre); Snow Globe (Arcola Theatre
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Kellan Frankland
Kellan Frankland
Kellan has been part of Graeae for nearly a decade including training with Graeae’s Ensemble programme as an actor and Write to Play as a writer. She appeared in House of Bernada Alba at Manchester Royal Exchange for which she was nominated for a Stage Debut award. She performed with Graeae again in And Others at the National Theatre. As a writer she wrote a piece for Graeae’s ‘Crips Without Constraints’ starring Dame Harriet Walter.
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Petre Dobre
Petre Dobre
Petre graduated at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2018.
Since then, theatre credits include: The Outrun ( The Royal Lyceum Theatre Company) , Song in Sign (FormidAbility), “Time to Wake Up” (Wake Up Triple Bill, Solar Bear), Sand (Surge), Visual Fun with Sports (Edinburgh Deaf Festival), 9/11 (Macrobert Arts Centre), Heartsore (Macrobert Arts Centre), Class Act (Traverse Theatre), Dinosaurs in Love (Traverse Theatre), Last Woman Left (RCS), Love and Information (Solar Bear), The Jungle Book (RCS).
Other Credits include: Mac, Pip and the Mountain (Scottish Book Trust), Rhythm to my Ears (Solar Reels), Mac, Pip and the Bees (Scottish Book Trust), The Mask of the Cowboy (Unmuted Productions), Contenders (Produced by Catherine Barr).
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Shreya M Patel
