Romeo and Juliet - (Plays for Young People) by Conrad Murray (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Two Postcodes, two streets apart
In dear Merton where our story starts.
Beef from the past creates new tension.
Innocent blood spilled they need an intervention.
A boy and a girl, supposed to be ops;
They chat, hold hands, secret meetings by the shops.

A remixed tale of star-crossed lovers.

How much would you risk for the person you love?

Forced apart by generations of hatred, young eyes meet across a South London dancefloor on a fateful night that will change their lives forever. Shakespeare's most famous story is re-told through rap, rhythms, and beautiful harmonies. It's Romeo and Juliet, but as you've never heard it before. Put down your swords and pick up your mics, after all, the course of true love never did run smooth.

From Conrad Murray, the creator behind the 2023 Offie award-winning Pied Piper: The Hip Hop Family Musical, comes this hip hop re-telling with contributions from Lakeisha Lynch-Stevens, Khai Shaw, and Kate Donnachie.

This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at London's Polka Theatre in March 2024.

About the Author

Conrad Murray is an artist, performer, beatboxer and rapper from Mitcham, South West London. He is a qualified and experienced secondary school teacher, the artistic director of the Battersea Arts Centre's Beatbox Academy, co-artistic director of the hip hop theatre company Beats and Elements and associate artist at BAC. His shows include No Milk for the Foxes (Camden People's Theatre 2015); DenMarked (BAC 2016); Frankenstein (BAC 2018); High Rise eState of Mind (BAC/CPT 2019). He is currently musical director and composer on Crongton Knights (Pilot Theatre), director on Pied Piper: Silent City (BAC), and composer and musical director for Mrs Noah (Headlong); he is also working with the BBC on a screen adaptation of Frankenstein to be screened on BBC4 in March 2020. He was awarded the Off Westend and Total Theatre Awards for Frankenstein. Conrad is also author of Methuen Drama books Beats and Elements: A Hip Hop Theatre Trilogy and Making Hip Hop Theatre.