Casting and creatives announced for Romeo & Juliet

Shakespeare’s heart-wrenching classic Romeo & Juliet has mesmerised audiences for generations. This autumn, Liverpool Everyman continues their tradition of putting a contemporary spin on Shakespeare with a potent, powerful new production directed by Ellie Hurt from Saturday 13 September to Saturday 4 October.

United by passion but forced apart by their families, Romeo and Juliet are young lovers who must transform their present to forge a beautiful tomorrow. But with their feuding households locked in a deep-rooted cycle of violence and hate, is it possible to win the loved-up future they crave?

Since completing the Young Everyman Playhouse (YEP) Directors course, Director Ellie Hurt has created shows for venues across the UK, including Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Shakespeare North Playhouse, and the National Theatre. Now she’s back at the theatre she calls home to deliver a thrilling, visceral experience – an unmissable Romeo & Juliet that asks whether love can resist the crushing forces of family and history.

Ellie Hurt said, ‘Directing Romeo & Juliet at the Everyman feels like a full-circle moment. I started my journey here with the YEP Directors course, working with so many amazing people and learning so much about the kinds of stories I wanted to tell. It’s incredibly special to be back here, and I’m excited to bring a fresh approach to one of my favourite Shakespeare plays.’

Alicia Forde plays Juliet. Alicia’s theatre credits include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Royal Exchange); Emilia, Gloria, The Daughter-in-Law and As You Like It (Mountview). On TV and Film, Alicia has appeared in Waterloo Road (Warner Bros/BBC); Time Series 2 (BBC Studios for BBC One); Bad Tidings (Sky); Ryan Can’t Read (Slick Films) and I Know APlace (BFI). Alicia’s awards and nominations include Laurence Olivier Bursary Award Winner 2020; Royal Television Society Award North-West ‘Best-Breakthrough’ Nominee 2023; Royal Television Society Award North-West and ‘Best Actor in a Continuing Drama’ Nominee 2024.

Zoe West plays Romeo. Zoe’s theatre credits include Baby in the Mirror (Second Adolescence/Edinburgh Festival); Dead Girls Rising (Silent Uproar); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chichester Festival Theatre); Wildfire Road (Sheffield Theatres); A Christmas Carol (Shakespeare North); The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Rose Theatre, Kingston/Michael Grandage Company); Jane Eyre (Stephen Joseph Theatre/New Vic); Romeo and Juliet (The Globe); Peter Pan (Storyhouse, Chester); Much Ado About Nothing (New English Shakespeare Company); Out of Water (The Orange Tree/RSC); White Teeth (Kiln Theatre); Sleeping Beauty (Theatr Clwyd Cymru); Creatives (Perfect Pitch) Constance & Sinestra and The Cabinet of Screams (Action to the Word) and Island Song (Stratford Circus). On television, Zoe appeared in Primrose Railway Children (BBC).

The cast also includes Joe Alessi – Capulet (The Hook, Royal & Derogate Northampton, Liverpool Everyman; Tartuffe, Liverpool Playhouse/Rose Theatre; Capulet in Romeo And Juliet, Liverpool Playhouse 2002), Elliot Broadfoot – Mercutio (The Parent Agency, Storyhouse Chester; Of Mice and Men, Leeds Playhouse), Liverpool acting royalty Eithne Browne – Friar (The Star, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse; Tartuffe, Liverpool Playhouse; The Beat Goes On, Liverpool Everyman Theatre), Ebony Feare – nurse  (Slave: A Question Of Freedom (Tour), Feelgood Theatre Productions; The Winter’s Tale, National Theatre), Kelise Gordon-Harrison – Benvolio (Best Mates, Top Bins and Venga Venga, The Royal Exchange Theatre; Alice in Wonderland, Shakespeare North Playhouse) and Milo McCarthy – Tybalt (The Frogs, The Grey Area Theatre; Coram Boy, Chichester Festival Theatre).

Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse’s Creative Director, Nathan Powell, said, ‘Dating back to the Everyman’s very first show, Henry IV, Part 1, the theatre has a strong tradition of Shakespeare productions that challenge stereotypes and reflect the world around us. From Golda Rosheuvel’s Othello to Cynthia Erivo appearing as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, we’ve found new ways of telling these classic stories and making them sing for new audiences.  I’m doubly excited to be welcoming back Ellie Hurt to the Everyman, a brilliant example of YEP’s talent development, making waves in UK theatre, and promoting Merseyside talent beyond the north-west.’

Romeo & Juliet is directed by Ellie Hurt, with set and costume design by Sascha Gilmour and composer Dom Coyote. Zoe West joins as Creative Associate, with KJ as Lighting Designer and Rob Newman as Associate Sound Designer. Intimacy and fight direction is by RC Annie, and movement direction is led by Jonnie Riordan. The team also includes Millie Gordon as YEP Trainee Assistant Director, Tommo Fowler as Dramaturg, and Ellie Collyer-Bristow CDG as Casting Director.

There’s a post-show discussion on Wednesday 24 September, following the 7.30pm performance, featuring members of the cast and company.

Accessible performances include a captioned performance on Thursday 18 September at 7.30pm, a British Sign Language performance on Saturday 27 September at 7.30pm, and an audio-described performance on Thursday 2 October at 7.30pm.

Tickets range from £11 to £36 and are available here.