For the first time The Castle Players aren’t doing a Shakespearian comedy. Why did you choose this tragic story of young love?

Precisely because it is the first time. We’re on to the third airing for some of the comedies, and it’s such a brilliant story, and so popular. I think our audiences will love it.

What was your inspiration for Romeo & Juliet?

There are so many ways of telling Shakespeare’s story. It’s a tale about growing up, and falling in love – and also about street fighting, and youngsters full of aggression. I thought about possible rival ‘gangs’ that might mirror the Capulets and Montagues of the original and came up with the idea of mods and rockers – young, passionate, bored and restless.

How are you able to achieve a “seaside” in your design concept?

Our designer, longstanding artistic director of the Castle Players, Simon Pell has worked as a professional theatre designer for most of his life. For him the visual impact of the show is paramount. I love working with different levels so I managed to persuade Simon that we needed a pier as part of the set. And of course Juliet needs a balcony for that famous scene. With prerecorded sound effects of seagulls and crashing waves, we’re going to transform the back lawn of The Bowes Museum into “Verona-on-Sea” for the week.

What about music?

I’ve had such a good time researching music from 1964. What’s extraordinary is how much of it is inspired by the R & J story (Juliet by The Four Pennies, and Just Like Romeo & Juliet by The Reflections.) And there’s even more inspired by the seaside – Cliff Richard’s On The Beach and The Drifters Under The Boardwalk. And of course Dion and The Belmonts Teenager in Love.

Perfect.

What is your own favourite scene ?

I love the scene where Juliet’s father, Capulet, loses his rag because his daughter refuses to marry the man he wants her to – it’s brilliant writing with some extraordinary language – he calls her all sorts of names, including “baggage”, “hilding”, “green-sickness carrion” and “tallow-face”. If you’re ever feeling annoyed, Shakespeare is a great resource for insults.

Can you share a funny incident from the rehearsal period with us?

The whole cast are brilliant and so enthusiastic.

The “crowd” have all invented appropriate back stories to explain what they are doing in the scene – we’ve got a divorcee who runs a seaside boarding house, holidaymakers and a renegade alcoholic cleric who rides across the set on a bicycle. Keeping them in line is often a challenge as they get so carried away with their sub-plots.

But probably the funniest moment was watching Mercutio try to put up a deckchair. The old ones are the best…

  • Romeo & Juliet, from Tuesday until Saturday, July 12. Tickets from The Bowes Museum and Darlington Building Society in Barnard Castle, from castleplayers.co.uk or call 0800-074-7080.