Hawk’s Well Theatre Presents Romeo and Juliet by Shine Productions

We are delighted to present a vibrant new adaptation of Romeo and Juliet on Friday 22 May at 12pm. Produced by our Shine Productions programme, this unique staging of Shakespeare’s timeless classic features over twenty young actors with intellectual disabilities and celebrates creativity, collaboration and inclusive theatre-making.

Set in Sligo, this reimagined version places Shakespeare’s famous lovers in a familiar landscape. Juliet is a Capulet and Romeo a Montague - and when they meet, their love burns brighter than the stars while facing a feud as old as time. In this tragic yet hopeful retelling, love ultimately overcomes hate, leaving behind a legacy of peace.

The production is co-written and co-directed by Isabel Claffey and Sinéad O’Donnell Carey and produced by Hawk's Well Programme Manager Maeve McGowan, with assistance from Shine Co-ordinator Thomas Pitts.

Shakespeare’s masterpiece of romance, tragedy and human emotion has captivated audiences for centuries. This one-hour adaptation explores enduring themes of love and loss in a format suitable for audiences of all ages, combining Shakespeare’s unforgettable language with shadow puppetry, music and projection.

The performance showcases participants from our Shine Programme, a creative engagement initiative for adults with intellectual disabilities established in 2023. The programme supports artistic expression, skill development and meaningful participation in theatre-making.

This production of Romeo and Juliet has been made possible with the support of Rethink Ireland.

Maeve McGowan, Founder of the Shine Programme and Producer of the show, commented:

“Our Shine actors are working incredibly hard to share the story of Romeo and Juliet with audiences in Sligo. The commitment, focus and enthusiasm they are giving to the project is truly inspiring. Under the guidance of Directors Isabel Claffey and Sinéad O’Donnell-Carey, they will truly shine in this unique production which has been written with the specific interests and strengths of our Shine actors in mind. Shadow puppetry, projection, music and community actors will all help to tell the story. The dedication, creativity, and energy that Isabel and Sinéad are bringing to this project is testament to their passion for drama, Shakespeare and our Shine community.
We are so grateful to Rethink Ireland who came on board to fund us in 2025 and who have enabled the expansion of our Shine programme and fulfilled the dreams of our Shine actors to create their own show. We have been mentored along the way by Run of the Mill Theatre from Newbridge and were inspired by Encore Production’s from Dundalk who performed their production of Frankenstein at the Hawk’s Well last year.
We cannot wait to share this production with you.”