ROMEO & JULIET Headlines Exeter Northcott's Spring/Summer 2025 Season

Romeo & Juliet will be the second drama produced by Exeter Northcott after its three-year hiatus was broken by The Commotion Time in October. It will also be the second production directed for the theatre by its Creative Director and Joint Chief Executive, Martin Berry, who has directed over 40 productions, including seven Shakespeare plays. Alongside the professional cast, Romeo & Juliet will feature an ensemble of local young performers.

Martin Berry says “I'm thrilled to be bringing Shakespeare back to our iconic stage, with a first-rate professional cast alongside young local talent. Like our entire Spring/Summer programme, this production has been shaped by conversations with our community about what they want to see on our stages. We're delighted to be creating so many opportunities for people to not just watch world-class theatre, but also to play an active part in it.”

The Northcott has also announced three brand-new regular groups for adults: Encore Dance, for people over 50; The Northcott People’s Company, offering the opportunity to explore drama techniques, practitioners, plays, and characters; and The Northcott Theatre Choir. The season also includes a number of one-off events for local community members to get involved in: The Devon Choirs Big Weekender will welcome South-West choirs to perform on the main stage, participate in workshops with industry professionals, and celebrate the joy of singing; four standalone evening workshops will cover a range of theatre making skills, including interpreting Shakespeare in the Exploring Romeo & Juliet workshops for children and adults.

Another key theme of the programme is supporting artists with strong links to the South West. Interactive documentary theatre show Is Anybody There? is inspired by the writer and performer Jon Nash’s experiences at the University of Exeter. Baby Panda Productions are bringing Five Little Monkeys to the Barnfield Theatre, after completing a research and development process there earlier this year. Original dark comedy Pot licker is written and directed by Ed Viney, who has worked extensively with theatres across the South West, including Bath Theatre Royal and Bristol Old Vic.

Other highlights of the season include the return of Edinburgh Fringe favourite …Earnest? and five-star West End hit Pride and Prejudice (*sort of), alongside a huge range of dance, opera, stand-up, talks, and music. Audio-described, sign-language interpreted, captioned, and relaxed performances are available for a range of shows throughout the season.

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