Grow Up, Juliet
one-act comedy
Synopsis
Grieving Juliet wants to join Romeo in death. But she learns she is the victim of an elaborate hoax. Who is behind it? Surely not Friar Laurence.
Characters
JULIET played by a young woman
FRIAR LAURENCE, etc. played by a young woman
TYBALT played by a young man
ROMEO played by a young man
Setting
Capulet family crypt, Verona
Medieval or Elizabethan period
Grieving Juliet wants to join Romeo in death. But she learns she is the victim of an elaborate hoax. Who is behind it? Surely not Friar Laurence.
Characters
JULIET played by a young woman
FRIAR LAURENCE, etc. played by a young woman
TYBALT played by a young man
ROMEO played by a young man
Setting
Capulet family crypt, Verona
Medieval or Elizabethan period
Grow Up, Juliet is available as the third part of a trilogy of short plays on the theme of Coming of Age: Grow Up, Girls.
Published by YouthPLAYS.
Also published in Girls on the Brink: Seven female-forward plays for young adults (YouthPLAYS).
(online reading)
P.A.G.E.S.
New York, NY
August 2, 2022
Cast: Saoirse Hooper (Juliet), Victoria Freedman (Friar Laurence, etc), Maurice Kessler (Tybalt), Rocco Spoon (Romeo)
P.A.G.E.S.
New York, NY
August 2, 2022
Cast: Saoirse Hooper (Juliet), Victoria Freedman (Friar Laurence, etc), Maurice Kessler (Tybalt), Rocco Spoon (Romeo)
Saoirse Hooper (Juliet), Victoria Freedman (Friar Laurence, etc), Maurice Kessler (Tybalt) and Rocco Spoon (Romeo)
Edge Fest
Birdhouse Theatre
Milledgeville, Georgia
May 24-25, 2019
Cast: Bailee Adams (Juliet), Julia Whitten (Friar Laurence, etc), Cole Hanlin (Tybalt), David Connel (Romeo)
Directed by Iona Holder
Birdhouse Theatre
Milledgeville, Georgia
May 24-25, 2019
Cast: Bailee Adams (Juliet), Julia Whitten (Friar Laurence, etc), Cole Hanlin (Tybalt), David Connel (Romeo)
Directed by Iona Holder
Yokota High School
Fussa, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan
January 11, 2017
Fussa, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan
January 11, 2017
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The Short Short Play Festival
The Social Capital Theatre Toronto, Canada July 22 & 24, 2015 Directed by Anand Rajaram Cast: Tahirih Vejdani (Juliet), Taylor Trowbridge (Friar Laurence, etc), Ron Pederson (Tybalt), Sunnie James (Romeo) With Ben Harris (guitar) Review 
Director Anand Rajaram with Taylor Trowbridge, Sunnie James and Tahirih Vejdani preparing for Grow Up, Juliet in Toronto
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ShowOff! International Playwriting Festival*
Camino Real Playhouse San Juan Capistrano, California January 16-22, 2015 Directed by Rick Kerrigan Cast: Sabrina Paris (Juliet), Bettina Saam (Friar Laurence, etc), Ed Gillow (Tybalt), Casey Moriarty (Romeo) Costumier: Daisy McGarr *Grow Up, Juliet placed Fourth in the competition |
Sabrina Paris (Juliet)
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Bettina Saam (Friar Laurence)
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Sabrina Paris, Bettina Saam, Casey Moriarty
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 Sabrina Saam & Ed Gillow
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Bettina Saam
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The Very Best Playground
Ghost Dog Productions
Etcetera Theatre
London
January 10-11, 2015
Directed by Matthew Radway
Cast: Alice Bennett (Juliet), Sarah Anson (Friar Laurence, etc.), Joseph Banks (Tybalt), Jack Blackburn (Romeo)
Ghost Dog Productions
Etcetera Theatre
London
January 10-11, 2015
Directed by Matthew Radway
Cast: Alice Bennett (Juliet), Sarah Anson (Friar Laurence, etc.), Joseph Banks (Tybalt), Jack Blackburn (Romeo)
Review
"Grow Up Juliet, written by Rex McGregor and directed by Matthew Radway, showed commendable craft on the part of the writer. Written in Shakespearean language, I think iambic pentameter was used and rhyming verse definitely was at points. In it, we see Juliet about to kill herself next to Romeo's corpse. Foiled by a retractable dagger, the story's classic features go on to get rewritten one by one. Language is artfully employed: sundry infamous quotes are humorously re-written to fit the new context. The overly exaggerated performances fit with the piece's irreverent attitude. Although the comedy isn't particularly nuanced, there is real humour to be found in the way McGregor subverts our expectations and assumptions, as well as copying Shakespeare's love of disguise and mistaken identity. The strength of the piece lies with the writer, rather than the director or actors - who do justice to the piece but don't add much extra." - I Like Plays, Do You?
Review
"If you've ever lost patience with the star cross'd lovers of the Bard's well-known tragedy, you'll appreciate Rex McGregor's less than sympathetic treatment of Juliet (Alice Bennett) in Grow Up Juliet. Following her sweetheart's death, she's ready to kill herself, but is all really what it seems? There was plenty of trickery in the Bard's original ending, but here McGregor throws in more twists than M. Night Shyamalan's entire back catalogue and really ramps up the deception." - Views from the Gods
Warner International Playwrights Festival
Nancy Marine Studio Theatre
Torrington, Connecticut
October 16, 2014
Directed by Lynn Paulella Beard
Cast: Gillian Russo (Juliet), Sarah Skrip (Friar Laurence, etc.), Cole Sutton (Tybalt), Morgan Morse (Romeo)
Nancy Marine Studio Theatre
Torrington, Connecticut
October 16, 2014
Directed by Lynn Paulella Beard
Cast: Gillian Russo (Juliet), Sarah Skrip (Friar Laurence, etc.), Cole Sutton (Tybalt), Morgan Morse (Romeo)
Sarah Skrip as Friar Laurence and Gillian Russo as Juliet (with Cole Sutton and Morgan Morse as the corpses of Tybalt and Romeo)
Playground: Deception
Ghost Dog Productions
The Horse & Stables
London
September 22-24, 2014
Directed by Matthew Radway
Cast: Harriet Layhe (Juliet), Sarah Anson (Friar Laurence, etc.), Joseph Banks (Tybalt), Jack Blackburn (Romeo)
Harriet Layhe (Juliet), Joseph Banks (Tybalt), Sarah Anson (Friar Laurence, etc.) and on the floor: Jack Blackburn (Romeo)
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Jack Blackburn (Romeo) and Sarah Anson (Friar Laurence)
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Review
"Spoofing Shakespeare can be a tricky business and, for my money, the only people to come close to the Bard are The Reduced Shakespeare Company and Tom Stoppard. Now I can add Rex McGregor to that list for Grow Up Juliet, in which "Oh happy dagger" has a retractable blade and from then on, much like the evening as a whole, things just get weird. I'm not going to spoil what happens to Juliet (Harriet Layhe) at the hands of Friar Laurence... (Sarah Anson). McGregor's script - in rhyming couplets and probably iambic pentameter but I was too busy laughing to check - is chock-full of quality running gags (hard to do in ten minutes), terrible but brilliant puns ("A ruse by any other name...") and it's all handled with a panto-cum-Jeremy Kyle flair by director Matthew Radway." - Views from the Gods
Short Play Lab
Roy Arias Studios, Stage II
New York, NY
April 26-27, 2014
Directed by Sara Stevens
Cast: Monique Huff (Juliet), Libby Froeber (Friar Laurence, etc.), Nick Bombicino (Tybalt), Richard Lindenfelzer (Romeo)
Costumes: Hannah Goldman
Roy Arias Studios, Stage II
New York, NY
April 26-27, 2014
Directed by Sara Stevens
Cast: Monique Huff (Juliet), Libby Froeber (Friar Laurence, etc.), Nick Bombicino (Tybalt), Richard Lindenfelzer (Romeo)
Costumes: Hannah Goldman
Monique Huff (Juliet)
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Libby Froeber (Friar Laurence, etc.)
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Richard Lindenfelzder (Romeo)
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Nick Bombicino (Tybalt)
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Staged reading:
Scratch Scripts Gatton Community Theatre Reigate, Surrey, UK October 31, 2014 Directed by Lixi Chivas |
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Staged reading:
Block & Talk Abstract Sentiment Theatre Co. Alchemical Theatre Laboratory New York, NY October 30, 2014 Directed by Viktoria I.V. King Cast: Megan Quinn (Juliet), Janay Monique (Friar Laurence, etc.), Andy MacLain (Tybalt), Will Jacobs (Romeo) |
Juliet (Megan Quinn) mourns Romeo (Will Jacobs) - with Tybalt (Andy MacLain) lying nearby and Friar Laurence (Janay Monique) about to step in
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Staged reading:
TLW LEXiCON Literary Festival
The Alexander Centre
Faversham, Kent, UK
March 16, 2014
Directed by Ben Slythe
Cast: Cate Myddleton-Evans (Juliet), Katie Baugh (Friar Laurence, etc.), Robyn Guy (Tybalt), Nigel Barker (Romeo)
Play reading on YouTube
TLW LEXiCON Literary Festival
The Alexander Centre
Faversham, Kent, UK
March 16, 2014
Directed by Ben Slythe
Cast: Cate Myddleton-Evans (Juliet), Katie Baugh (Friar Laurence, etc.), Robyn Guy (Tybalt), Nigel Barker (Romeo)
Play reading on YouTube
Cate Myddleton-Evans (Juliet)
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Katie Baugh (Friar Laurence, etc.)
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Nigel Barker (Romeo)
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Robyn Guy (Tybalt)
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Play reading:
Scratch Script Night
Verbal
The Shoebox at the Riverside
Sheffield, UK
October 13, 2014
Play readings:
One for the Road
Eastbound Theatre
Milford Center for the Arts
Milford, Connecticut
July 25-27, 2014
&
Westport Community Theatre
Westport, Connecticut
August 1-2, 2014
Play reading:
Writers' House
Ilkley Playhouse
Ilkley, West Yorkshire, UK
January 11, 2014
Directed by Ash Caton
Scratch Script Night
Verbal
The Shoebox at the Riverside
Sheffield, UK
October 13, 2014
Play readings:
One for the Road
Eastbound Theatre
Milford Center for the Arts
Milford, Connecticut
July 25-27, 2014
&
Westport Community Theatre
Westport, Connecticut
August 1-2, 2014
Play reading:
Writers' House
Ilkley Playhouse
Ilkley, West Yorkshire, UK
January 11, 2014
Directed by Ash Caton
French version: Grandis, Juliette