Shakespeare North Playhouse and Graeae announce Romeo and Juliet casting

Shakespeare North Playhouse and Graeae Theatre Company have announced the cast for a new production of Romeo and Juliet. Directed by Graeae’s artistic director Jenny Sealey, the retelling features an ensemble of Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent actors. The production opens at Shakespeare North Playhouse on 13 September, running until 5 October, before moving to Theatre by the Lake from 12 to 26 October.

The cast includes Petre Dobre, Ciaran Forrest, Kellan Frankland, Cherie Gordon, Shreya M Patel, Reece Pantry, and Rheanon Shaw, who makes her professional stage debut. BSL performance interpreters will be Irmina St Catherine and Craig Painting.

This production of Romeo and Juliet integrates BSL, captions, and audio description, performed in a relaxed environment.

Sealey said, “Someone on Twitter told me, ‘here’s a novel idea – do a Shakespeare with an all disabled cast and sell tickets to only disabled people. Good luck with that’. Well, I am indeed doing a Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet with an all Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent cast but it is a play for the audiences of the North West whether they be Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent or non-disabled. Romeo and Juliet is a play that can touch us all. I am very excited to be working on this with my wonderful cast and creative team and to play at Shakespeare North Playhouse and Theatre by the Lake. “

The production team includes Tim Meacock (designer), Simisola Majekodunmi (lighting design), Oliver Vibrans (sound design), Anthony Gough (assistant director and audio description consultant), Christopher Harrison (AV designer), Daryl Jackson (BSL consultant), Vicky Berry (access manager), and Ben Spiller (Shakespeare consultant). The stage management team comprises Katie Bosomworth (CSM), Andrea Claire (DSM), and Harry Fearnley-Brown (production manager), with Mark Lockyer as voice coach.

Tickets for the production are available now.