Theatre News

Romeo and Juliet tour announces complete casting

The stage production opens next year

Alex Wood

Alex Wood

| Tour |

13 January 2025

roju
Kyle Ndukuba, Mia Khan and Andre Antonio, headshots supplied by the production

A new adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, featuring rap and R ‘n’ B alongside Shakespeare’s original text, is set to premiere at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry – and lead casting has been revealed.

Directed by Corey Campbell, Belgrade Theatre’s creative director, the take on Shakespeare’s classic story integrates rap music to enhance its themes of love, violence, and political rivalry. The new musical elements are co-created with Midlands-based artists That’s A Rap, who provide lyrics, and A Class, who contribute the music. Scenic and costume design is by Simon Kenny.

Set to star will be Mia Khan and Kyle Ndukuba, taking on the roles of the star-crossed lovers, while joining them are Yasmin Wilde (Billie The Kid) as Friar Lawrence, Natasha Lewis (Brief Encounter) as Nurse, Asheq Akhtar (making his stage debut) as Lord Capulet, Lauren Moakes (The Gretchen Question) as Lady Capulet, Dillon Scott-Lewis (42 Balloons) as Mercutio, Andre Antonio (Aladdin) as Benvolio, Sam Gosrani (The Lovely Bones) as Tybalt, Elwyn Williams (The Butterfly Hunter) as Paris, Ellena Vincent (The Book of Grace) as Montague, Pete Ashmore (Christmas in Exeter Street) as Prince Escalus and Ayesha Patel (Lizzie) as Rosalind. A community choir, and young practitioners from the Belgrade Ensemble, will also perform alongside the professional company.

The show is directed by Corey Campbell with music and lyrics by A Class and That’s a Rap respectively, plus sets and costumes by Simon Kenny, lighting design by Chris Swain, choreography and movement direction from Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster, vocal coach Simon Ratcliffe, fight direction by RC Annie – Rachel Bown Williams, video design from Barret Hodgson, and digital content creation by Simone Herbert and Kieran Vyas. Reisz Amos will be both vocal arranger and community choir leader, joined by community choir mentors Corah Fowles and Yannick van den Bosse while camera operation is by Michael Ellis and Logan Powell. Casting is by Polly Jerrold. 

It will run from 21 February to 8 March 2025 before moving to the Bristol Old Vic from 12 March to 5 April, followed by performances at Hackney Empire from 23 to 26 April.

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