DRAMA group the Masquers will be staging Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in Gorleston and Great Yarmouth towards the end of this month and the start of July.

DRAMA group the Masquers will be staging Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in Gorleston and Great Yarmouth towards the end of this month and the start of July.

The production will be staged in the garden of David and Jane Adams at 1 Poplar Avenue, Gorleston for a four night run from Wednesday, June 30 to Saturday, July 3.

Tickets costing �10 and �8 concessions will be available from Masquers chairman Pam Boon on 01493 665862.

The following week the Masquers will be giving three additional charity performances. These will be at the Priory Hall, in aid of the St Nicholas Church Preservation Trust on Monday, July 5; at Hobland House near Browston for the Great Yarmouth and Gorleston RNLI on Tuesday, July 6; and for the Palliative Care East Appeal on Wednesday, July 7.

The Masquers have not staged Romeo and Juliet since 1955 although the society during that time has mounted over 40 other productions of Shakespeare's plays.

There has not been an amateur acting company's performance of Romeo and Juliet in the town for 55 years.

Michael Boon and Iain MacDonald are co-directing the production and rehearsals are under way.

Mr Boon said: “It was great to be directing a play again and especially pleasing to have as a co-director such an experienced and major Masquers actor as Iain. He said they were delighted to be working together in a production in the Masquers Company style with a mixture of experienced and new younger players.”

The society's Romeo and Juliet in this production are Greg Doggett and Emily Simpson, both having been playing with the Masquers for over ten years.