Romeo and Juliet

A Return to the Roots: 1961 Meets 2026

May, 1961. Rural Otago.

The air is crisp, the tussock is turning, and beneath the shadow of the hills, an ancient grudge is stirring once more.

To celebrate its 65th Anniversary, The Globe Theatre returns to the very play that opened its doors on London Street in 1961, Romeo and Juliet. This is not the Verona you know, but a reimagining of Shakespeare’s tale of “star-crossed lovers” set in the rugged, mid-century heart of our own backyard.

In this intimate and visceral production, the feud between Montagues and Capulets is recast within the tight-knit expectations of a rural New Zealand community. As youthful passion collides with inherited loyalties and long-held grudges, Shakespeare’s tragedy becomes something both familiar and unsettlingly close to home.

Sixty-five years on, this production honours the Globe’s origins while breathing new life into a story that continues to resonate. In a university town like Dunedin, where the energy of youth and the weight of tradition are always in conversation, the themes of love, conflict, and generational tension feel as immediate as ever.