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Star-crossed lovers launch south east Shakespeare programme

Richard Beck Richard Beck
3 Jul 2026

I’ve worked in Greenwich for over two decades so I’ve seen huge change in the local demographic. An area that was dominated by large expensive properties and had a hyper-local approach to culture (with the theatre relying on a half-mile catchment area for its core audience) has now opened its proverbial doors. More affordable properties have been built and many of the large houses have been broken into smaller flats, so more young families and less old money now live in the area. Student bases in Greenwich have increased, tourism has shifted from half-day visits to overnight stays and transport links have improved which have both strengthened the ability for people to get to Greenwich easily and weakened the sense that Greenwich is an idyllic historic oasis cut off from the rest of the capital.

A theatrical celebration that can bridge and unite disparate audiences

What that means is a greater ability to promote our work to audiences travelling in (residents from across London, tourists), to families beyond our annual pantomime, to audiences from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds - so the question that presents itself is how to programme for an audience that diverse. Is there something that can unite those disparate groups?

We have built a reputation as a supporter of emerging talent. Our in-house work has championed lesser-known titles by major living writers, our pantomime regularly picks up awards, but if we want to speak to all of those people at the same time, how can we do that? The launch of Greenwich Theatre Productions saw a new commitment to presenting work around London with shows at Kings Head Theatre, the Park Theatre and Southwark Playhouse. However, that’s not to say we’ve lost sight of our home in Greenwich. If our new producing wing aims to reach further afield, it remains crucial for us to share work with the particularly diverse audience of south east London, and of Greenwich in particular.

One answer, that we have decided to test, is to go back to Shakespeare - to a writer whose work has as many identities as we have audiences - so this summer we launch an annual in-house produced Shakespeare.

So many people have a touch-point with Shakespeare that his work does offer a genuine opportunity to unite audiences. In the case of our choice for year one - Romeo and Juliet - audiences might be more closely linked with the iconic Franco Zeffirelli film, with West Side Story, with Baz Luhrmann, with the National’s COVID streamed production or with Gnomeo and Juliet, but most people have a link in to the story somewhere.

For our show, performed by a knock-out cast of six astonishing actors, we’ve made this all about entertainment - we’ve infused the story with music, we’ve worked with one of the best stage fight directors in the business, our designer has created a world where Verona sits right on the line between bold architecture and the free world of nature, the line between Capulet and Montague - the line which Romeo and Juliet can meet across and ultimately destroy.

Under all of that, or maybe driving all of that, we’ve held on to Shakespeare’s driving political spirit. Gender inequality, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, social inequality, political nepotism - he tackles all of it - and we’d be remiss to ignore that. Romeo would not be able to buy poison if the apothecary wasn’t trapped in poverty. The Capulets wouldn’t push so hard for an alliance with Paris if he wasn’t related to the Prince. Maybe Lady Capulet would support her daughter more if she hadn’t been married off and already a mother by the age of 14.

So meet our Romeo, played by Blossom Timothy, a female Romeo finding her way in a male dominated world, falling in love with the daughter of the fierce capulets (played by Ava Honey in her professional debut). Meet our Lord Capulet, Matt Penson, whose heart is genuinely broken by the apparent death of his daughter but is forced by social expectation to abate his grief and occupy the role of patriarch. Meet our Mercutio, played by Nikita Johal, a female Mercutio railing against that masculine, heteronormative society at every point. Meet our Paris, played by musical director James Aldred, the young man tragically and genuinely in love with a young woman who can’t love him. And meet our friar, played by Charlotte Harwood, a woman as comfortable with the land as she is with heaven, battling against expectation to unify a city and protect the young people who she strives parent more than their actual parents.

In the search for a theatrical celebration that can bridge and unite disparate audiences, and one which can become an annual tradition, the longevity and diversity of Shakespeare does feel like it could offer an answer, while the opportunity to challenge some of today’s divisive politics with this bold new production is a thrilling one. 2026 is looking like a defining year for Greenwich Theatre.

Richard Beck

Richard Beck

A graduate in theology and education, Richard acted and contributed to dance, drama and music productions throughout his teaching career. He joined Broadway Baby in 2014 and is now our Editor-in-Chief. He usually disappears to warmer climes for the winter to pursue his passion for travel.

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