William Shakespeare’s
Romeo
& juliet
Directed by Daniel Kramer
Visual Story
To help prepare you for your
visit to Shakespeare’s Globe
Relaxed Performance
Wednesday 7 June, 2.00pm
Getting to the theatre
The entrance to Shakespeare’s
Globe is two large, iron gates
facing the river Thames. On the
gates are iron animals, flowers
and objects, each of which are
mentioned in one of
Shakespeare’s plays.
This is the Piazza. If you need
somewhere quiet at any time
you can come back out of the
theatre onto the Piazza. Each of
the doors leads into the theatre.
Your ticket will tell you which
gallery, bay and row you are in.
Once you have found your row
you will need to find the part of
the bench reserved for you
which will match the number on
your ticket. The benches are
narrow.
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This is the stage. For different plays, designers add pieces of set to
make it look different. You will notice that there are two large pillars
holding up the roof (which is called ‘the Heavens’). You won’t be able
to see the actors when they are behind the pillars.
When the audience arrive some
of them sit in the three galleries
and the others stand in the Yard,
the open space in the centre.
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There is a large hole in the
centre of the roof to allow
sunlight in. It also allows the
rain in if it is raining, so be sure
to have a coat. Occasionally,
but not always, aeroplanes fly
overhead during the play. You
might see one. You might not.
These are stewards. You can
recognise the stewards by their
denim aprons. The stewards
are there to help you. If you feel
tired, or need to exit please ask
a steward. They can also show
you where the toilets are.
Stewards are good people to
go to if you feel worried about
anything in the show.
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The characters of the play
This is Juliet
This is Juliet and Romeo
This is Friar Lawrence and Romeo
This is Friar Lawrence
This is Benvolio
This is Romeo
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The characters of the play
This is the Nurse
This is Lord Capulet in his
party costume
This is Mercutio and Benvolio in
their party costumes
This is Juliet and Paris in their
party costumes
This is Lord Capulet and Tybalt
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Show Notes
These are notes of things that may happen during the show, or that
you may want to think about for the play.
•
The play is approximately two hours and fifty minutes, with an
interval of 20 minutes. A bell will ring five minutes before the play
starts and five minutes before the second half starts to let you
know it is time to sit down.
•
At the beginning of the play there is loud music and a lot of
people dancing.
•
There is a lot of stage fighting, but it is only pretend. The knives
the actors use are pretend knives, there is a pretend gun too.
•
The actors will have make up on their faces a bit like clowns.
•
Sometimes the actors wear masks to hide their faces.
•
One of the actors pretends to be a dog.
•
Fake blood is used.
•
There are missles above the stage. They will not move.
•
There is electronically amplified music played throughout the
show.
•
Some of the actors will walk through the yard to get to the stage.
•
Shakespeare’s Globe is an open air theatre, so it is best to wear
suitable clothes.
•
You are welcome to come and go from the auditorium as you
please.
•
If you need quiet, you may relax on the piazza or in the foyer.
•
The music can be loud at times throughout the play.
•
Pigeons may, but not necessarily, enter the theatre.
•
There is a lot of dancing, which might be startling.
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What is the play about?
Shakespeare’s plays are often in five parts called
‘Acts’. Sometimes, people talk as the ‘chorus’, which means they are
explaining the action straight to the audience: you.
Play summary
•At the beginning of the play, we learn that there are two rival
families who live in Verona, the Montagues and the Capulets.
•The play centres on Romeo, who comes from the Montague family,
and Juliet, who comes from the Capulet family. Romeo and Juliet
meet at a party and fall in love. They get married but have to keep
their relationship a secret because their families would not be happy
about it.
•Romeo’s cousin, Benvolio, and his friend, Mercutio, get into a fight
with Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt. Romeo tries to break up the fight but Tybalt
shoots and kills Mercutio. Romeo is mad at Tybalt for killing his friend
and so he kills him in revenge. The Prince of the city finds out what
has happened and punishes Romeo by banishing him from Verona.
•Juliet’s parents, Lord Capulet and Lady Capulet, want Juliet to
marry a nobleman, Paris. Juliet does not want to marry Paris
because she still loves Romeo. Juliet goes to see Friar Lawrence
and asks him for advice. Friar Lawrence comes up with a plan so
Juliet will not have to marry Paris. He gives Juliet a sleeping potion
which will put her into such a deep sleep that she will appear dead.
Friar Lawrence then sends a message to Romeo telling him of his
plan and requesting that he secretly comes back to Verona to
find Juliet.
•Juliet takes the sleeping potion which Friar Lawrence has given her.
The next morning, Juliet’s Nurse finds her in bed and thinks she is
dead. Juliet’s family take her to the Capulet family tomb to be laid
to rest.
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•Friar Lawrence meets with a friend, Friar John, and discovers
that his message has not been delivered to Romeo. Meanwhile,
Romeo hears from his Benvolio, that Juliet is dead. He travels
back to Verona with a gun in order to take his own life.
•Romeo arrives at the Capulet tomb. Romeo then sees Juliet and,
believing she is dead, he shoots himself. Juliet wakes and sees
Romeo dead beside her and also takes her own life.
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