Romeo and Juliet – Kelvin Players

This summer, ahead of Bristol Pride, comes a queer production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

The play features Shakespeare’s original text but the production is explored through the lens of a queer love story between two women.

It comes from the Kelvin Players, a Bristol theatre company that has been staging work in the city for nearly 100 years.

Directed by Chris Hawkins and Sarah Lawrence, this production explores the tragedy through the restraints the world enforces on queerness.

Audiences should expect a retro feel set in a liminal space, one that sits neither in the past nor the present. But there’s guaranteed to be a ‘healthy dose’ of LGBTQ+ aesthetic influence.

“We wanted to take a beloved classic and give it a spin that brings a fresh resonance for modern audiences,” directors Chris Hawkins and Sarah Lawrence say.

“We haven’t altered the text in any significant way – we’ve simply framed it in a new light.

“Our production is colourful, giddy, and, of course, tragic. It is actually a very funny script, and we’ve leaned into that somewhat because really wanted to capture that feeling of new love – and young love – so that our audiences come along on the journey with these characters that they know and love so well.”

Romeo & Juliet runs at the Kelvin Players from 24 – 28 June and 01 – 5 July 2025

For more information about the Kelvin Players, visit: https://www.kelvinplayers.co.uk/

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