Welcome to Shakespeare in the Cathedral
Shakespeare in the Cathedral is a collaborative performance project presented by Shakespeare in the Park, Lichfield Players and Different Animal Theatre and performed in the magnificent surroundings of Lichfield Cathedral.
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Combining Shakespeare in the Park’s decades of site-specific performance experience with the Lichfield Players’ 80 years of expertise in community theatre, all presented with Different Animal Theatre’s eye for unique and surprising performance concepts – the Shakespeare in the Cathedral project will undoubtedly be a challenging, rewarding and memorable experience for all involved.
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Our inaugural performance will be William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ – a tragic tale of love and loss, all told against the backdrop of the stunning medieval Cathedral.
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The performance run will only last two nights, with a limited audience capacity – so be sure to book early!
Our Production
The concept of our production is inspired by William Blake’s ‘The Songs of Innocence and Experience’; centrally, we will be focusing on the rapid journey that the two star crossed lovers are forced to take from innocence and blissful naivety to experience and the stark realisation of the prejudices and hardships of the world.
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The titular roles of Romeo and Juliet will be presented rather differently in this production. As such, we are seeking actors to play both roles who can realistically play the role of teenagers – but we are also keen to cast older Romeo and Juliets – so if you are in your twenties, middle-aged or enjoying your later years – the roles of Romeo and Juliet are very much still open to you! Additionally, many of the roles will be cast ‘gender blind’ – open both to males and females.
You can read more about the production concept and vision for each of the roles in the following production outline.​​​
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Production Information and Character Notes
We will be holding an open meeting for 'Romeo and Juliet' on 3rd September 2025 at The Hub, St Mary's in Lichfield Market Square. Then, following the meeting, we will hold open auditions via a combination of recorded 'self-tapes' and in-person recall auditions. The key dates are:
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Launch Night/Open Meeting - 3rd September 2025 (The Hub, Lichfield)
Deadline for audition self-tapes - 12th September 2025
In-person Recall Auditions - 17th September 2025
Auditions are open to anyone 16 years and over.
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Auditions will involve the preparation and performance of a short extract from ‘Romeo and Juliet’; the audition extracts will be available HERE closer to the time.​
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Auditions
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Our rehearsal schedule will commence in late-September 2025 – taking place three times a week, comprising of two weekday evenings and Sunday late mornings. A provisional schedule can be viewed below; however, it should be noted that all performers will not be required at all rehearsals (until later in the process when we begin full runs of the show). In the case of Romeo and Juliet - due to the shared nature of the role, rehearsal commitment will be greatly reduced.
Additionally, there is some flexibility with rehearsal attendance (for example, if you have a holiday or prior commitment, we may be able to work around this) – you would simply need to let us know your availability at the point of audition.