One day after announcing new deputy director Clint Dyer, the National Theatre has dropped a first-look image of its upcoming production of “Romeo & Juliet,” produced as a feature film to be broadcast on Sky Arts and PBS this April.
Josh O’Connor (“The Crown,” “God’s Own Country”) and Jessie Buckley (“Chernobyl,” “Judy”) will play the young star-crossed lovers, as seen in the image of the couple as they meet on Juliet’s balcony in front of a full moon.
Further casting has been announced as well, with Olivier Award winner Adrian Lester (“Life,” “Undercover”) confirmed as the Prince, Lloyd Hutchinson as Lord Capulet, Colin Tierney (“Nowhere Boy”) as Lord Montague and Ella Dacres as Peta.
Simon Godwin (“Twelfth Night,” “Antony and Cleopatra”) directs a 90-minute adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous love story, reconceived by writer Emily Burns for the screen. Shooting was executed at the National Theatre’s Lyttelton theater over three weeks in December.
“Romeo and Juliet” premieres on Sunday, April 4, on Sky Arts in the U.K. and Friday, April 23, on PBS in the U.S.
Dyer, the only Black British artist to have worked at the National Theatre as an actor, writer and director on full-scale productions, will work closely with director and joint chief executive Rufus Norris and director of new work Emily McLaughlin to grow and support the organization’s creative output.
In his time at the National Theatre, Dyer is known for playing the role of Cutler in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” in 2016 and co-writing and directing “Death of England” and “Death of England: Delroy.”
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