Shakespeare in Southwold: RSC Romeo and Juliet

Directed by Erica Whyman, this contemporary Royal Shakespeare Company production of Romeo and Juliet presents Shakespeare’s classic tragedy with renewed urgency and relevance. Women perform several traditionally male roles, including Mercutio, challenging expectations while highlighting themes of conflict and identity. The production focuses on youthful passion, social division, and the desperate desire for change within a fractured society. Against the hostility between their families, Romeo and Juliet risk everything to remain together, questioning whether love can overcome inherited hatred. Combining emotional intensity with modern staging, the performance explores rebellion, generational conflict, and the destructive consequences of intolerance and division.