Meet Julia and Lucetta, Shakespeare On The Lawn

As Year 9 students settle into regular rehearsals for this year’s Shakespeare On The Lawn, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, we met up with Annabelle and Romilly who play Julia and Lucetta in the play.

One of the first of Shakespeare’s many masterpieces, it’s clear to see that this play is possibly where he discovered a great many of his future characters – or at least began to develop and create them. As we spoke to Annabelle and Romilly, we heard more about their thoughts on their characters – as well as how they feel ahead of performing in July.

Annabelle – Julia

I was really pleased and excited to be given the role of Julia, she’s lots of fun to play and actually the character I played in my audition, so I feel like I already know lots about her!

There are lots of lines to learn, but I have so many scenes with Romilly and acting besides and with one of your friends just makes this all the more fun.

It’s become a bit of a family tradition to perform in Shakespeare On The Lawn in both mine and Romilly’s family as our sisters were in past performances of Much Ado About Nothing and Twelfth Night.

I’m not feeling any nerves right now, but it’s early days – I’m still spinning from the excitement of getting a part. I know as it gets closer to the performance dates I’ll probably get more nervous, but by then we’ll have everything perfectly rehearsed and be ready to delight everyone – including our sisters who will undoubtedly be watching keenly!

Romilly – Lucetta

I love the part I’ve been given, it was great to get through auditions and find out I had a part, but to be given Lucetta is brilliant. I can really play around with her, there’s so much scope to this character, it’s clearly a first ‘draft’ of many of Shakespeare’s heroines to come and that makes it all the more interesting and exciting to play – she’s everything!

As Annabelle said, getting to perform alongside one of your friends makes this entire experience even more fun, and we’ve been lucky enough to actually get out onto the lawn to rehearse which has really brought it all to life and made it feel very real.

I’m especially looking forward to the costumes and stage set for the performance, I’ve been to many in the past and it always looks and feels so elegant and beautiful.

I’ve got plenty of time to continue discovering more and more about my character, I’m not feeling nervous at all right now, but as Annabelle said it might change the closer we get to the actual performance dates.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona will be performed on the Chapel Lawn on Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 July. A ticket link can be found here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/woodbridge-school-drama