B

By Michelle Crean

The love story of 'Romeo and Juliet' completely reimagined and starring Killarney actress Jessie Buckley has been capturing the imaginations of viewers, and was praised by critics, this week. Jessie plays the lead role of "Juliet" in the Shakespeare classic on Sky Arts and stars alongside English actor Josh O’Connor who became a household name for his role as Prince Charles in the 'The Crown'.

Plans for the original stage version at the National Theatre in London were shelved due to COVID and instead creators of this contemporary version opted instead for a film version.

This bold new film brings to life the remarkable backstage spaces of the National Theatre in which desire, dreams and destiny collide to make Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy sing in an entirely new way.

However, it wasn't all plain sailing by any means due to the pandemic and the Shakespeare's greatest story about star crossed lovers which made it difficult for the actors to get so close as they were tested every three days for COVID.

“It wasn’t a theatre piece, and it wasn’t a film piece. I’ve never been in a situation where from the beginning of rehearsals, the cinematographer is in complete collaboration with you,” Buckley told the Television Critics Association’s Winter Press Tour. “Even though the space and the lens and the theatrical space is smaller, the emotional space, especially with this story, is huge. This love is massive.”

'Romeo and Juliet' will be available to view on Sky Arts until May 4 and will premiere in the US at 9pm Friday April 23 on PBS.

Jessie's next project is horror movie 'Men' directed and written by Alex Garland and has just started production.