It’s the theatre blockbuster that never was. With bright young things Josh O’Connor (The Crown, The Durrells) and Jessie Buckley (War and Peace, Chernobyl) onboard, the National Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet was set to be the blockbuster of the autumn. Due to the pandemic, however, the production was never staged.
Not to be outdone, the cast and crew have now reassembled at London’s Lyttelton theatre, where a movie of the production is set to be filmed in the next few weeks.
National Theatre director Rufus Norris said: “Realising the Lyttelton theatre would need to remain shut to audiences during this time has been really difficult and meant we found ourselves in a unique set of circumstances.
“I wanted to find a way to use that space to create something exciting and special for audiences, that utilised the exceptional skill and craft of the National Theatre’s teams, freelancers and creative associates, and that could reach as many people as we can”.
Rehearsals are due to start on the movie in early November, with filming penned in for early December. Once complete, the 90-minute movie will premiere on Sky Arts in the UK and on PBS in the United States.
Apart from O’Connor and Buckley, this latest version of the Bard’s celebrated romance has a ‘to die for cast’, including Fisayo Akinade, Deborah Findlay, Tamsin Greig and David Judge. Judging by that list, the National Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet looks like one to watch, wherever it happens to pop up.
More information about the production can be found here.
For information about other theatre productions in London, please click here.
