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Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet was written between 1591 and 1597, and first performed at the end of the century, probably by Shakespeare's own company, The Chamberlain's Men, at the Theatre or the Curtain in London. Following the fall of the monarchy in England the theatres were closed and it was not until the Restoration that the play was revived. Since then, performances of Romeo and Juliet have been outnumbered only by Hamlet. Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist, saw one of the first revivals of the play in 1662. An adaptation by Davenant, the play was not a success, and Pepys remarked in his diary "...the play is of the worst I have ever heard in my life, and the worst acted that I ever saw these people do.". The role of Juliet was first played by a woman in 1708. Up till then, it was normal for all parts to be played by men. From the Restoration onwards, the play has been adapted and re-worked hundreds of times. The original Shakespearian text was rarely performed until the 20th Century. Most frequently performed was Thomas Ottway's 1680's adaptation that he titled "History and Fall of Caius Marius". This became the version that everyone knew until the mid-18th century. In 1748 David Garrick produced his famous revival that was to hold the stage for almost 100 years. Each successive version adapted the text according to the fashion of the day : neo-classical versions, romantic versions, comic and tragic versions ; the play was adapted to please the audience of the day. But the central element, the two lovers, was always preserved and always held centre stage. In the twentieth century, William Poel led the Elisabethan revival ; a definitive return to the original versions of Elisabethan plays. His influence led directly to the famous John Giegud production in 1935. A huge success, the part of Romeo was played alternately by Laurence Olivier and Gielgud himself, whilst Juliet was played by Peggy Ashcroft. Giegud's production was followed notably by Peter Brook's at the RSC in 1947 and later by Zeffirelli's at the Old Vic in 1960 (later made into the hugely popular 1968 film). After the Second World War, Shakespeare became more frequently performed in Europe, especially in France (Daniel Mesguich, Théâtre de l'Athenée 1985 or Robert LePage's bilingual version in 1991). Dennis Kennedy ("Foreign Shakespeare : contemporary performance" ed. Cambridge 1993) speaks of Shakespeare's work as "a common cultural inheritance, but an inheritance that is thoroughly redefined by each culture that receives it.". Existing adaptations of Romeo and Juliet 1830 : Bellini adapts the play to make an opera "I Capuleti e i Montecchi". 1839 : Berlioz turns it into a symphony, "Roméo et Juliette" 1867 : Gounod adapts it for his opera "Roméo et Juliette" 1934 : Prokofiev writes the music for the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" 1957 : West Side Story is first performed at the theatre, to become the film in 1961. In the early days of the cinema, numerous silent versions are filmed. 1935 : Thalberg and Cuckor's version with Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard 1968 : Zeffirelli films his stage version (today still the most commercially successful film of a Shakespeare play ever made) 1997 : Baz Lurhman casts Claire Danes and Leonardo di Caprio in "Romeo + Juliet" Translated, adapted, on stage, screen, or CD ROM, as a play, opera or ballet, the international popularity of Romeo and Juliet is astonishing. But what ever the medium, what ever the style, Shakespeare's genius for structure and language acts as foundation and as inspiration. Peter Brook's judgement of the avalanche of Shakespearian adaptations is :     " When Garrick played Romeo and Juliet in knee-breeches, he was right ; when Kean played the Winter's Tale with a hundred Persian pot-carriers, he was right ; when Tree staged Shakespeare with all the resources of the His Majesty's, he was right ; when Craig staged his reaction to this he was right too. Each was justified in its own time ; each would be outrageous out of it. A production is only correct at the moment of its correctness, and only good at the moment of success. In its beginning is its beginning, and in its end is its end." (The Modern Theatre : Readings and Documents ed. Daniel Seltzer 1967) Romeo & Juliet / Sherlock Holmes / Dorian Gray