West End in Schools – Shakespeare Today ROMEO AND JULIET. West End in Schools – Shakespeare Today

SECTION 1. TWO HOUSEHOLDS

WE ARE THE MONTAGUES! WE ARE THE CAPULETS!

REPORTERS Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean  

Montague V Capulet Capulet’s Strike! Montague’s Beat them down!   Montague’s Beat them down! Capulet’s Down with the Montague’s! Montague’s Down with the Capulet’s!

THE MONTAGUES MEET THE CAPULET’S. SECTION 2. THE MONTAGUES MEET THE CAPULET’S.

BEGIN TO ATTACK ONE ANOTHER THEN FREEZE CAP Do you bite your thumb at us Sir? ECHO Do you bite your thumb at us Sir?   MONT I do bite my thumb, Sir. ECHO I do bite my thumb, Sir. CAP Do you bite your thumb at us, Sir? ECHO Do you bite your thumb at us, Sir? MONT Do you quarrel, Sir? ECHO Do you quarrel, Sir? CAP Quarrel, Sir? No, Sir! ECHO Quarrel, Sir? No, Sir!   MONT If you do, Sir, I am for you! ECHO Quarrel, Sir? No, Sir! BEGIN TO ATTACK ONE ANOTHER THEN FREEZE

ARGUMENT EVERYBODY EXIT. Benvolio Part, fools! You know not what you do. Tybalt Turn Benvolio! Look upon your death. Benvolio I do but keep the peace Tybalt Peace? I hate the word. ARGUMENT PRINCE Rebellios subject, enemies of the peace, Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets, Once more, on pain of death, all men depart. EVERYBODY EXIT.

SECTION 2 – THE CAPULET’S PARTY. CAPULET’S ENTER. LADY C Come musician’s play! EVERYBODY DANCES. SLOW MOTION DANCING AND INTO GROUPS. ROMEO AND JULIET STAND AND STARE AT ONE ANOTHER.

Romeo Did my heart love till now? Group 3 Love! Love! Love! Romeo: What Lady’s that? Group 1 Lady! Lady! Lady! Juliet: What is that Gentleman? Group 2 Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Romeo Did my heart love till now? Group 3 Love! Love! Love! Romeo Foreswear it sight, For I never saw true beauty til this night. Group 4 Beauty! Beauty! Beauty!

Nurse His name is Romeo. Group 5 Romeo! Romeo! Romeo! Nurse And a Montague, The only son of your great enemy Group 6 Enemy! Enemy! Enemy! Juliet My only love sprung from my only hate! Group 7 Hate! Hate! Hate!

FREEZE All groups speak words, getting louder.   All groups speak words, getting louder. FREEZE TYBALT Tis that villain MONTAGUE! ALL Tis that villain MONTAGUE! Romeo and crew run out of the door. Exit after the reporter speaks.

SECTION 4 The Balcony scene.

Romeo But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief. It is my lady. Oh, it is my love Oh, that she knew she were! Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand That I might touch that cheek!

Juliet Ay me! Romeo She speaks! O, speak again, bright angel!  JULIET O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? ALL

JULIET Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if you will not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet! ROMEO My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself Because it is an enemy to thee.

Romeo: Juliet? Juliet: Romeo? If they do see you They will murder you.   Romeo: I have night’s cloak to hide me. Juliet Dost thou love me? Romeo Lady, by the blessed moon I swear. Nurse Juliet!

Juliet Anon, good Nurse! Nurse Juliet! If thy love be honourable, Thy purpose marriage Send me word to-morrow.   Nurse Juliet! Romeo At what time tomorrow shall I send to thee? Juliet At the hour of nine.

JULIET Oh! Good night, good night! ALL Oh! Good night, good night! JULIET Parting is such sweet sorrow ALL Parting is such sweet sorrow JULIET That I shall say goodnight till it be morrow. ALL That I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.

Montague V Capulet Capulet’s Strike! Montague’s Beat them down!   Montague’s Beat them down! Capulet’s Down with the Montague’s! Montague’s Down with the Capulet’s!

SECTION 5 Freeze Frames

FREEZE FRAME 1 Reporter 1 ROMEO MARRIES JULIET IN A SECRET WEDDING. THEY WERE MARRIED BY FRIAR LAWRENCE AND ONLY JULIET’S NURSE KNEW. FRIAR LAWRENCE So smile the heavens upon this holy act. ALL So smile the heavens upon this holy act.

FREEZE FRAME 2 Reporter 1. Angered by RomeO and his friends gate crashing the party, Tybalt confronts the Montagues.   Reporter 2. BUT ROMEO REFUSES TO FIGHT. ROMEO I do protest, I never injured thee. ALL I do protest, I never injured thee.

FREEZE FRAME 3 Reporter 1. THE MONTGUES AND CAPULETS ARE BRAWLING ON THE STREET. Reporter 2. ROMEO’S BEST FRIEND MERCUTIO IS KILLED BY JULIET’S COUSIN, TYBALT   MERCUTIO A Plague on both your houses! ALL A Plague on both your houses!

FREEZE FRAME 4 Reporter 1. ROMEO STRUCK BACK AT TYBALT HIS WIFE’S COUSIN.   Reporter 2. TYBALT IS DEAD. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT ROMEO IS TO BLAME. ROMEO I am fortune’s fool! ALL I am fortune’s fool!

FREEZE FRAME 5 Reporter 1. THE CAPULET’S BLAME EVERYTHING ON ROMEO IN A STAND OFF BETWEEN THE TWO FAMILIES ON THE STREET. Reporter 2 THEY INSIST THAT THE PRINCE SENTENCE ROMEO TO DEATH. LADY CAPULET Romeo must not live! ALL Romeo must not live!

FREEZE FRAME 6 Reporter 1. ROMEO IS BANISHED FROM VERONA. Reporter 2.   Reporter 2. HE LEAVES WITH A HEAVY HEART. PRINCE We exile Romeo hence! ALL We exile Romeo hence!

SECTION 6 Five scenes in one.

JULIET AND NURSE.

JULIET What news? Why do you wring your hands? NURSE We are undone lady! He’s gone, he’s killed, he’s dead! JULIET Why do you torment me like this? NURSE Tybalt is gone, and Romeo banishèd. It was Romeo that killed him—he is banishèd. JULIET Did Romeo’s hand shed Tybalt’s blood? NURSE It did, it did. Alas the day, it did.

LORD CAPULET AND PARIS

LORD C Things have turned out, sir, so unluckily. That we have had no time to convince our daughter to marry you.   PARIS These times of woe afford no time to woo. Commend me to your daughter. LORD C Sir Paris, I will make a desperate argument of my child’s love. But, soft! What day is this? PARIS Monday, my lord. CAPULET On Thursday let it be. On Thursday, tell her, She shall be married to this noble earl PARIS My lord, I would that Thursday were tomorrow.  

LADY CAPULET AND JULIET.

LADY CAP Well, well, you have a careful father, child. He has sorted out a sudden day of joy  JULIET Madam, in happy time, what day is that? LADY C Marry, Paris, my child, early next Thursday morn, He shall happily make you a joyful bride. JULIET He shall not make me a joyful bride. LADY C What, are you mad? JULIET I beg you on my knees, LADY C I tell thee what: get thee to church on Thursday, Or never after look me in the face.  JULIET Delay this marriage for a month, a week. Or, if you do not, make the bridal bed In that dark monument where Tybalt lies.

FRIAR LAWRENCE and JULIET.

  JULIET O, shut the door! Come weep with me, Past hope, past cure, past help. FRIAR L. O Juliet, I already know thy grief. On Thursday next be married to Paris. JULIET Give me some advise, Be not so long to speak. I long to die If what you speak, speak not of remedy. FRIAR L. Hold, daughter. I do spy a kind of hope, You have the strength of will to slay yourself, Then is it likely you will undertake

Friar L Take thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilled liquor drink thou off; When presently through all your veins shall run A cold and drowsy humour, for no pulse No warmth, no breath, shall show you live; This will continue for two and forty hours, And then awake as from a pleasant sleep. Juliet Love give me strength! ALL Love give me strength! Juliet Romeo! This I drink to thee. ALL Romeo! This I drink to thee. JULIET drinks and falls on the floor.

SECTION 7 The End.

CREATE THE CHURCH Nurse JULIET! ALL JULIET? THE FUNERAL MARCH Whisper Juiliet is dead! X 5 ROMEO I defy you stars! ALL I defy you stars! CREATE THE DOORWAY All Poison! Poison! Poison! ROMEO A dram of poison! ALL A dram of poison! APOCOTHARY It will dispatch you straight! ALL It will dispatch you straight!

JULIETS LIFTS ARMS ONE BY ONE AND FALL TO GROUND. Create the Vault Door. Juliet’s lie on the floor. Vault Door Juliet! Juliet! Juliet! Juliet! ROMEO’S KNEEL BEHIND JULIET’S Romeo Here’s to my love! Chorus Here’s to my love! ROMEO’S DIE. JULIET’S WAKE UP AND SITS UP. Juliet 1 Where is my Romeo? Chorus Where is my Romeo?   JULIETS SEE’S ROMEO. Juliet 2 O happy dagger! Chorus O happy dagger! JULIETS LIFTS ARMS ONE BY ONE AND FALL TO GROUND.

SIT DOWN ON STAGE.

A GLOOMING PEACE THIS MORNING WITH IT BRINGS. THE SUN, FOR SORROW, WILL NOT SHOW HIS HEAD: GO HENCE, TO HAVE MORE TALK OF THESE SAD THINGS; SOME SHALL BE PARDONED, AND SOME PUNISHED: FOR NEVER WAS A STORY OF MORE WOE, THAN THIS OF JULIET AND HER ROMEO.

CLAP & CHEER