Now in it's 15th year, Stafford Festival Shakespeare returns to Stafford Castle with an open air production of the bard's greatest love story, Romeo and Juliet. This year's headliners, Bruno Langley and Scarlett Johnson, made their names in two of the country's most popular television shows. Staffordshire Life features writer Amy Walters caught up with the star-crossed lovers as they began preparations for the production.

From soapland to theatre's most famous star-crossed lovers, Bruno Langley and Scarlett Johnson, better known to most for their pervious incarnations as Coronation Street's Todd Grimshaw and Eastenders' Vicki Fowler, are in Stafford this month taking the leading roles in Stafford's open air production of Romeo and Juliet.

Despite only having met a short while ago, first impressions of the young actors are that this could be a winning romantic pairing. Certainly, if their publicity shots are anything to go by, the on-stage chemistry of the romantic leads should live up to all expectations.

Stafford Festival Shakespeare producer and casting director Stephen Freeman also seems to think he has found the perfect duo to take on the roles of Shakespeare's most famous tragic lovers: "I'm delighted to have both Scarlett and Bruno on board for this year's production.

"I'm really excited and believe that their portrayal and interaction as the star-crossed lovers will be amazing."

Scarlett, especially, was the top choice for the production. She was spotted by Stephen while auditioning for another play and asked to try out for the role of the leading lady: "Scarlett's talent and youthful beauty overwhelmed us when she auditioned for the role of Juliet; she played the role perfectly, depicting her innocence yet still allowing her cheekiness to shine through."

The couple's arrival in Stafford left little time to explore the county town; they were whisked straight to the Gatehouse Theatre for this first round of interviews. For both Bruno and Londoner Scarlett, this is a first visit to the area. Bruno says:"I don't know Stafford at all really, the Midlands is one of those places I always seem to travel through on the way to somewhere else.

"I was born not so far away in Buxton though so I should probably know the area better than I do, from what I've seen so far though it seems like a lovely town."

Now they have finally made the journey to our fair county, talk turns to the matter in hand; the not-so-small task of perfecting the works of Shakespeare in less than a month. So are they already familiar with the play? "I am now," laughs Scarlett, tapping the well-thumbed copy of Romeo and Juliet she's been holding on the table in front of her.

"I studied it at school but getting to grips with taking on such an important role is totally different."

Bruno adds: "Everyone is familiar with the play, or has seen a film version, but trying to get the story across to an audience is much harder than just reading it."

Preparation seems to be the key, and Scarlett in particular has left nothing to chance: "I've done a huge amount of reading to help me get into it. I'm also studying method acting at the moment, which helps you draw on your own experiences to get to grips with the character.

"I don't know Juliet, I've never met her but now I've got to be her and to convince the audience.

"There is also the issue of the language barrier with Shakespeare, not only to you have to learn to be the character but you have to learn their language too."

This Shakespeare production marks a welcome return to theatre for Scarlett for she has previously trod the boards in a number of productions including Lord of the Flies, Ernie, Our Day Out, Caberet and Guys and Dolls. The Stafford Festival, however, will be the first time Scarlett has performed under the elements; the audience may be safely under cover at Stafford Castle but the stage is under the open skies: "I'm nervous about the performance but I'm really excited to be doing something different.

"I'm only 20 and I want to keep learning about my work all the time and this will be a great experience."

The classic Shakespeare play will certainly be a very different task for both of the actors; since leaving soapland behind, Bruno has been seen in two episodes of BBC1's eagerly-awaited Doctor Who, as Adam Mitchell, and he also makes an appearance in the film The League of Gentleman's Apocalypse, while Scarlett has made an appearance on Strictly Ice Dancing alongside Graham Norton.

Playing out a turmoiled romance will be familiar to both Scarlett and Bruno. Scarlett's Eastenders storylines involved a fling with a neighbour and an affair with a 40 year old lecturer, while Bruno won critical acclaim for his dramatic exit storyline which saw his character Todd leaving the Street after confusion over his sexuality lead him into an affair with gay nurse Karl Foster, prompting the soap's first gay kiss. So how did Bruno feel about the plot?

"The producers asked me whether or not I wanted to do the story and I thought it over and felt the good points outweighed the negative ones.

"The gay kiss didn't really bother me; I'm an actor getting paid to play a role so why should it?"

So, would they ever return to the soaps which brought them to the attentions of a plethora of casting directors?

"I was working for two years playing the same character, which was hard," says Scarlett.

"It got to the point where I was acting out scenes and thinking about something totally different to the words I was saying.

"I had a two year contract and after the first year I decided not to stay any longer so I knew for a year I was leaving.

"I had a great time and got to do loads of interesting storylines but the time was right to go and I was happy with the way Vicki was written out."

Bruno added: "The producers left it open for me to go back but I'm getting to do loads of different things now so I don't feel the need to."

And with the choice of roles coming in for the two actors - Scarlett is starting a new theatre production impresstely after Romeo and Juliet, while Bruno is concentrating on film and television work - the future is surely looking bright for the star-crossed lovers off stage, even if their adventures on stage as Romeo and Juliet have a less than happy ending.

© Staffordshire Life Magazine, 29/6/05

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