Heartstopper's Kit Connor to make Broadway debut in Romeo + Juliet with Rachel Zegler
The Shakespeare adaptation marks both Connor and Zegler's Broadway debuts.
It's the news that fans have been picking apart on social media, but it's now been confirmed that the Broadway production of Romeo + Juliet will star Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler in the iconic lead roles.
Both the Heartstopper star and the Golden Globe-winning actress are making their debuts on Broadway with the new production, which is a "modern day" adaptation and will open this autumn.
The news was teased yesterday as avid Instagram users noticed that both Zegler and Connor had posted matching images of their characters' initials along with a caption of a heart and dagger emoji.
As if that wasn't enough of a big clue, the pair also tagged the location as Verona, the Italian city that forms the backdrop of the Shakespearean tale.
Acclaimed theatre director Sam Gold will be at the helm of Romeo + Juliet, while Grammy-winning producer Jack Antonoff will be behind the music in the play.
Antonoff is best known for being the lead singer of rock band Bleachers, but has also worked as a songwriter and producer for the likes of Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Florence & The Machine plus more.
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It's safe to say that news of the casting and the inclusion of what could be a pretty mega score has sent fans into overdrive, with many overjoyed at the news of both stars getting their Broadway debut with Romeo + Juliet.
Zegler herself has naturally been excited to share the news with fans, quote tweeting a past 2016 post of her own that asks when she can "be on Broadway".
She has since responded with a series of crying emojis.
And it certainly seems as though the new reimagining of the play will cater to the needs of the younger generation, as hinted at in the synopsis.
It reads: "The youth are f****d. Left to their own devices in their parents’ world of violent ends, an impulsive pair of star-crossed lovers hurtle towards their inescapable fate.
"The intoxicating high of passion quickly descends into a brutal chaos that can only end one way."
Gold said: "With the presidential election coming up in November, I felt like making a show this fall that celebrates youth and hope, and unleashes the anger young people feel about the world they are inheriting."
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Of course, this isn't the only adaptation of the famed Shakespeare play to have captured headlines in recent times, with Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers leading a separate production on London’s West End this summer.
Upon the news of the casting of Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet, the young actress has suffered a barrage of online racist abuse, which has prompted more than 800 predominantly Black female and non-binary actors to sign an open letter condemning it.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
