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Romeo and Juliet − Learning PackContents

About This Pack ................................................................1

Background Information ..................................................2

Teaching Information ........................................................3

Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis..................................5

Find Out More...................................................................10

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Romeo and Juliet − Learning Pack

About

This learning pack supports the National Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Beijan Sheibani, which first opened on 24th July 2013 at the National’s Dorfman Theatre in London, and returned with a new cast shown here in 2016.

Our packs are designed to support viewing the recording on the National Theatre Collection. This pack provides links to the UK school curriculum and other productions in the Collection. It also has a plot synopsis with timecodes to allow you to jump to specific sections of the play.

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Cast

Tybalt................................................................Suzie ToaseRomeo ...............................................Nana Amoo-GottfriedMercutio ..................................................... Ashley GerlachSister Laurence ...............................................Kayla MeiklePrince ............................................................. Ronak MeikleJuliet.................................................................Sharan PhullCapulet .............................................................. Jay SaighalNurse ........................................................ Tripti TripuraneniParis ................................................................Ronak PataniMrs Montague ..........................................Madeline Appiah

All other characters are played by members of the Company

Romeo and Juliet − Learning Pack

Background InformationRecording Date – 21st February, 2017 Location – Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre Age Recommendation – 8+

Creative Team

Director .........................................................Bijan Sheibani

Adaptor.............................................................. Ben PowerDesigner ............................................................ Lucy SierraOriginal Design ............................................ Becs AndrewsComposer .......................................................Soumik DattaMusic Director .....................................................Joel Fram

Playwright .......................................... William Shakespeare

Movement Director ........................................... Aline DavidSound Designer ............................................. Mike WinshipAssistant Director .......................... Anastasia Osei-Kuffour

Lighting Director ................................................ Paul Knott

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This production is particularly suitable for:

• Teachers wishing to give primary pupils a first experienceof Shakespeare.

• English Literature students studying the play at Key Stage3 and above.

• Anyone with an interest in theatre for younger audiences.

In particular you might like to explore:

Romeo and Juliet − Learning Pack

Teaching Information

• How this production makes the play relevant for a contemporaryaudience.

• How the fight scenes are represented in this version of the play.• How the design helps to create the world of the play and helps

the audience to differentiate between characters.• The staging of the play in the round and how the audience

interacts with the action.

There are a number of other productions in the National Theatre Collection that relate to this one, which you and your students may wish to explore alongside it.

Other productions featuring members of the same creative team

Production Date Artist

Medea 2014 Ben Power - Adaptor

Macbeth 2017 Lucy Sierra - Designer

Macbeth 2017

The Winter's Tale

Paul Knott - Lighting Designer

2018 Lucy Sierra - Designer

The Winter's Tale 2018 Paul Knott - Lighting Designer

Antigone 2012 Aline David - Movement Director

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Other productions suitable for primary school students

Production Date Writer / Adaptor

Treasure Island 2014 Bryony Lavery

Peter Pan 2016 Sally Cookson andThe Company

Other productions by William Shakespeare

Production Date Director

Coriolanus 2014 Josie Rourke

Hamlet 2010 Nicholas Hytner

Julius Caesar 2018 Nicholas Hytner

King Lear 2011 Michael Grandage

Macbeth (Schools) 2017 Justin Audibert

Twelfth Night 2017 Simon Godwin

The Winter’s Tale (Schools) 2018 Justin Audibert

Othello 2013 Nicholas Hytner

Director

Polly Findlay

Sally Cookson

The Winter's Tale 2018 William Shakespeare Justin Audibert

Justin Audibert

Romeo and Juliet − Learning Pack

Teaching Information

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Differences to Shakespeare’s original*

Ben Power’s adaptation condenses Shakespeare’s tragedy to just over an hour while retaining the story in its entirety. This involved an economic re-writing of most scenes and cutting certain characters.

• Various minor characters, including Friar John, Peter, and servantsare cut or written into other characters.

• Act I Scene iv, including Mercutio’s ‘Queen Mab’ speech, is cut.• The following scenes are also cut entirely: Act IV Scene ii, Act IV

Scene iv and Act V Scene ii.• The characters of Montague and Lady Montague, and Capulet and

Lady Capulet, are condensed into two single characters: MrsMontague and Capulet respectively.

• The characters of Tybalt and Friar Laurence (Sister Laurence) arewomen.

*Using Arden Shakespeare Third Series edition of Romeo and Juliet

The Act and Scene in brackets indicate where the scene comes in Shakespeare’s original play.

Prologue: Mercutio reads Shakespeare’s famous prologue introducing the characters and the story.

Scenes 1 – 2 (Act I, Scene i) 0:01:13: Montagues and Capulets, two rival households in Verona, quarrel and fight in the street. Incensed by both families constantly disturbing the peace, the Prince of Verona decrees that the next person found fighting will be executed. Mercutio tries to cheer up Romeo Montague, who is lovesick for Rosaline.

Romeo and Juliet − Learning Pack

Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis

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Scene 3 (Act I, Scene ii) 0:07:09: Capulet announces they will hold a party at their house tonight and sends out invitations to everyone apart from Montagues. Mercutio tells Romeo that Rosaline will be at the party, so they plot to attend in disguise.

Scene 4 (Act I, Scene iii) 0:08:33: Capulet raises the prospect of marriage to his daughter Juliet, suggesting Count Paris would be an appropriate suitor. She says she has no desire to marry, but reluctantly agrees to talk to Paris at the party. The guests start to arrive.

Scene 5 (Act I, Scene v) 0:10:47: At the party Romeo (in disguise) spots Juliet and is immediately infatuated. Tybalt recognises Romeo as a Montague and is enraged, but Capulet stops him from doing anything as he does not want to spoil the party. Romeo and Juliet meet, dance and kiss. They then both realise the other is a member of the enemy family.

Romeo and Juliet − Learning Pack

Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis

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Scene 6 (Act II, Scene i) 0:17:51: Romeo hides from Mercutio, reluctant to leave without seeing Juliet again. Mercutio leaves without him.

Scene 7 (Act II, Scene ii) 0:19:30: The balcony scene, where Romeo and Juliet vow their love for one another, in spite of their families’ rivalry. They agree to marry tomorrow as Juliet is ushered inside by her Nurse.

Scene 8 (Act II, Scenes iii - v) 0:25:06: The next day Romeo visits Sister Laurence and explains what happened. She agrees to marry them. Romeo relays this information to the Nurse, who in turn tells Juliet.

Scene 9 (Act II, Scene vi) 0:29:00: Romeo and Juliet are married.

Scene 10 (Act III, Scene i) 0:32:40: Tybalt challenges Mercutio for helping Romeo sneak into the party. Romeo enters but refuses to fight Tybalt (who is now, unbeknownst to Tybalt, Romeo’s brother-in-law).

Romeo and Juliet − Learning Pack

Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis

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Tybalt and Mercutio fight as Romeo tries to break them up. During the scuffle Mercutio is mortally wounded and dies. Tybalt returns. Enraged and grief-stricken, Romeo fights and kills Tybalt. He flees. As news of the fighting gets out to the families, the Prince declares Romeo banished, and if he is seen in Verona again he will be killed.

Scene 11 (Act III, Scene ii) 0:39:50: The Nurse tells Juliet that Tybalt is dead and Romeo killed him. Juliet is emotionally torn over the death of her brother, but remains loyal to Romeo. She sends for Romeo so they can spend a final night together.

Scene 12 (Act III, Scene iii) 0:43:11: Sister Laurence helps Romeo prepare to leave for Mantua. Nurse tells him Juliet is grieving for Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment.

Scene 13 (Act III, Scene iv) 0:44:59: Paris comes to woo Juliet, but she is grieving and won’t come down. Capulet tells him to come back on Thursday when they will be married.

Scene 14 (Act III, Scene v) 0:45:55: The following morning Romeo and Juliet say goodbye to each other as he leaves Verona. Capulet enters and insults Juliet for her disobedience, demanding that she marry Paris on Thursday. This leaves Juliet distraught who resolves to kill herself if she is forced to marry Paris. She plans to go to Sister Laurence for advice.

Scene 15 (Act IV, Scene i) 0:51:55: Paris makes arrangements with Sister Laurence to marry Juliet on Thursday. Paris leaves, and Sister Laurence hatches a plan: she gives Juliet a potion that will put her in a death-like coma. Everyone will think she is dead and she can escape with Romeo. Sister Laurence sends a letter to Romeo to tell him the plan.

Romeo and Juliet − Learning Pack

Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis

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Scene 16 (Act IV, Scenes iii & v) 0:54:26: In her bedroom, Juliet takes the potion and falls asleep. The next morning, Nurse finds her apparently dead. Capulet and Sister Laurence take her body away to church, mourning.

Scenes 17 – 18 (Act V, Scene i) 0:57:27: The letter to Romeo failed to be delivered. Balthasar informs Romeo of Juliet’s death. Romeo is beside himself with grief and vows to kill himself and die next to her. Juliet’s funeral takes place. Romeo buys poison from a drug dealer.

Scene 19 (Act V, Scene iii) 1:00:45: In Juliet’s tomb, Romeo drinks the poison. Sister Laurence’s potion wears off and Juliet wakes up to find Romeo. They kiss and he dies. Juliet stabs herself and also dies. The other characters enter and discover what happened. Montague and Capulet see their hatred caused this and agree to put the rivalry aside, erecting statues to the memory of the dead couple.

The End

Romeo and Juliet − Learning Pack

Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis

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Watch

This series of videos introduces aspects of Romeo and Juliet to a younger audiences. It includes interviews with the cast that performed the production in 2013, before it was brought back with a new cast in 2016.

Introducing Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet: Adaptation

Romeo and Juliet: Language

Romeo and Juliet: Learn the Movement

Romeo and Juliet: Movement

Our general Shakespeare content:

Shakespeare at the NT: The 21st Century

Shakespeare at the NT: Writer for Today

Performing Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet − Learning Pack

Find out more

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This series of videos introduces a younger audience to some of the fundamental roles in the theatre, to help them understand the different people who work together to bring a play to life.

What is an Actor?

What is a Director?

What is a Designer?

What is a Composer?

What is a Playwright?

Explore

The National Theatre’s digital exhibitions on Google Arts & Culture, including Shakespeare at the National Theatre.

More materials relating to the production including the costume bible, poster, prompt scripts, programme, stage management reports and more are held at the National Theatre Archive, which is free to visit. Find out more here: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/archive

Romeo and Juliet − Learning Pack

Find out more