Shakespeare In Love will be the first production of the 2026 Play Season for the Marlborough Repertory Society at the Boathouse Theatre.

Shakespeare in Love is a play with music that was adapted for the stage by Tony Award® and Olivier Award® -winning writer Lee Hall, based on the screenplay by Academy Award®-winning writer Marc Norman and Tony Award®, Olivier Award®, and Academy Award®-winning writer Tom Stoppard.

Our production from April 15th to 25th 2026 will be directed by Pam Logan, KSM, with Amanda Tollemache as Assistant Director.

The play calls for an ensemble of versatile actors and musicians - and a dog. A range of ages for the cast of approximately 20.

Those interested in being onstage, backstage, or forming the troupe of musicians are encouraged to come along to our Information Evening to find out all about this passionate and fun celebration of Shakespeare and the art of theatre. It is a wildly playful, funny, and romantic work of historical fiction.

See the cast list on our website - www.boathousetheatre.co.nz

The auditions will be Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th December, 7pm Boathouse Theatre.


What is Shakespeare in Love?

A romantic piece of historical fiction, the story centers around a young Will Shakespeare as he struggles to find his inspiration. Enter the feisty, aristocratic Viola de Lesseps, who longs to be an actor. The relationship they forge serves as inspiration for
Will’s greatest play – Romeo and Juliet.
This stage adaptation of the 1998 film brings Shakespeare’s dialogue to the forefront and highlights its theatrical origins. Much of the dialogue is taken from Shakespeare’s cannon (with Romeo and Juliet featured heavily throughout) and many of the plot devices employ tactics commonly found in plays of the Elizabethan age: cross-dressing disguises, mistaken identities, suspicions of adultery, sword fighting, a comedic nurse, and even
visions of ghosts are all present, as is the enduring “play-within-a-play” convention that Shakespeare fondly adopted for many of his works. Overall, Shakespeare in Love delivers a delightfully crowd-pleasing, deeply romantic, and highly adventurous tale of love and drama in Renaissance-era England.

 

🎭 Character Guide: Shakespeare in Love

Some of the characters in Shakespeare in Love were real people.
Real historical figures are marked with ✦✦✦✦

William Shakespeare (Will) ✦✦✦✦

Will is an actor, playwright, and poet. He lived in England in the 1500s and wrote many plays including Romeo and Juliet, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Twelfth Night.
In Shakespeare in Love, he is trying to write Romeo and Juliet. He has a romantic affair with Viola de Lesseps and is friends with Kit Marlowe, a fellow playwright.

Christopher Marlowe (Kit) ✦✦✦✦

London’s most famous playwright and poet. He helps Will come up with ideas for his poems. They are close friends.

Philip Henslowe ✦✦✦✦

Owner of The Rose Theatre in London. Henslowe produces plays and constantly seeks new scripts to draw big audiences.
He worries about money because he owes debts to many people, including Mr Fennyman.

Hugh Fennyman

Fennyman describes himself as “I am the money.” He finances Will’s new play alongside Henslowe, hoping for a big return.
At first, he only seems interested in profit, but later he becomes deeply excited about the play and even joins the cast as the Apothecary — an old-time pharmacist who mixes medicines and potions.

Ned Alleyn ✦✦✦✦

One of the most famous and beloved actors in London. He returns to town just in time to join Will’s play.
Ned likes to play the starring role — Will tricks him into joining by claiming that Mercutio is the lead part.

Richard Burbage ✦✦✦✦

A celebrated actor and theatre owner of The Curtain Theatre. He wants Will to write him a hit play, but becomes angry when Will gives it to Fennyman instead.

Sam

An actor who specializes in playing women’s parts — because women were not allowed on stage at the time.
In Will’s new play, Sam performs as Juliet.

Wabash

A tailor pressed into acting by Henslowe, partly to settle a debt.
Though he struggles with a stutter, he works hard to perform the opening speech of Romeo and Juliet.

John Webster

A young boy who dreams of joining the theatre world, though adults often ignore him.
He loves plays filled with blood and violence.
(In real history, John Webster grew up to write famous revenge tragedies.)

Queen Elizabeth I ✦✦✦✦

The powerful ruler of England who never married and reigned for 45 years.
She enjoys theatre and loves dogs.
(Queen Elizabeth II was a distant relative.)

Edmund Tilney ✦✦✦✦

The Master of the Revels, who works for the Queen and oversees all the theatres.
He can shut down performances for containing anything offensive or illegal — including women acting on stage.

Viola de Lesseps

A young woman with a passion for poetry and theatre.
Although women are forbidden from acting, she disguises herself as a man named Thomas Kent to audition for Will’s play.
Viola is promised to Lord Wessex, but falls in love with Will instead.

Sir Robert de Lesseps

Viola’s wealthy father. He arranges her marriage to Lord Wessex to strengthen his family’s social position.

Lord Wessex

A titled nobleman who needs money. He agrees to marry Viola in exchange for a dowry and expects her to obey him completely.

🕺 Ensemble Cast

Most of the actors also play multiple roles — such as other actors in Will’s company, tavern guests, dancers at the de Lesseps’ ball, and nobles at Queen Elizabeth’s court.
Some may also sing or play instruments.

We are looking for an ensemble of approximately 20 actors.