Director Ed Hughes | Designer Michael Vale

The Mercury Theatre Company unites with the critically acclaimed seven-piece Astillero Tango Orchestra and international actors to perform Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare’s classic tale of forbidden love, in a co-production with Salida Productions. The production opens at the Mercury Theatre Colchester on Thursday 25 February and runs until Saturday 13 March.

Through the power and passion of the evocative tango, the decline of the lovers is seen not as fate, but an act of orchestration. The musicians intertwine with the actors creating their world, their love, and ultimately their fate.

The cast includes Mercury Company actors: Keith Dunphy, Gus Gallagher, Gina Isaac and Shuna Snow, performing alongside Astillero. Formed in 2005 and renowned as the only tango orchestra in the world playing original tango compositions, Astillero have released two CDs to great acclaim and recently completed a tour of the UK including a performance at the Mercury and two sold out performances at the Southbank as part of the London Jazz Festival.

Actor and director Kenneth Branagh is patron of the project, he said today, 'I have met several times over the last few years with Ed Hughes to discuss the progress of his production of Romeo and Juliet and agreed to be patron. His imaginative response to the play is startlingly original and his tenacious devotion to its execution has been very impressive. This is an important project which I think will bring a memorable artistic experience to many.'

Dee Evans, Artistic Director and Chief Executive commented, 'The power, devastating precision and raw passion of Astillero’s music equals that of the play itself. The Mercury Theatre Company is all about driving development on and new challenges. This is another opportunity for all involved to raise the bar.'

Ed Hughes directs and plays Tybalt. In 2002 he received a Fox Foundation scholarship to go to Buenos Aires and study Tango. It was whilst there that the production of Romeo and Juliet involving the orchestra first took shape. Ed said, 'Why Romeo and Juliet and the music of tango? At the core of both, death and love are inextricably bound together. This is the reason for this production with a company of international actors and Astillero tango orchestra from Buenos Aires - to open up the play in a way that has never been seen before. This is what has driven me for the last 8 years of working to bring this production to life. To be collaborating with Colchester with an established company of actors, near where I grew up as a kid, is more than I could have ever imagined and for which I am extremely grateful to Dee Evans and the vision of the Mercury Theatre.'