A remixed tale of star-crossed lovers: Hip-Hop Romeo and Juliet to tour South London schools

A remixed tale of Romeo and Juliet is coming to the stage in South London.

Forced apart by generations of hatred, young eyes meet across a South London dance floor on a fateful night that will change their lives forever. It’s Romeo and Juliet, but as you’ve never heard it before.

Polka Theatre in The Broadway, Wimbledon, has opened this Hip-Hop remake of Shakespeare’s most famous story, which will run until April 24.

At the Wimbledon venue, Romeo and Juliet, will be re-told through rap, rhythms, and harmonies, in collaboration with Conrad Murray and Lakeisha Lynch-Stevens from Hip-Hop theatre group Beats and Elements’.

Mr Murray said: “It is great to be making this show with Polka, as (like many others) it was there that I had my first ever theatre experience on a school trip. 

“I lived in Mitcham and my Grandma lived in South Wimbledon, so it was always this amazing factory of magic that was on our doorstep. 

“Often, we would come in, just to walk about the gift shop and look at the cool things. 

“I wrote an essay on a play I watched there when I was 14, and my social worker would take me there on our daytrips. It’s actually a little daunting – like playing for your team on their home ground!”

Polka will also tour the show to 12 schools across South London as part of a new pilot scheme, between March 20, and 28.

The scheme hopes to offer accessible theatre to school children in the area, at a time when school budgets are increasingly under pressure. 

Open six days a week, 50 weeks a year, Polka Theatre is one of just a handful of dedicated children’s venues in the UK, with more than 21,000 children taking part in its programmes last year. 

Tickets are on sale now via https://polkatheatre.com/ or call 020 8543 4888

Pictured top: Khai Shaw and Kate Donnachie as Romeo and Juliet at Polka Theatre (Picture: Steve Gregson)