SHAKESPEARE’S tragic drama Romeo & Juliet is brought up to date this month at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

The show in Leeds is described as a young, passionate and vibrant reimagining of the greatest love story ever told.

The play is directed by the Playhouse’s newly-appointed associate director, Amy Leach, who helmed Kes, The Night Before Christmas and Little Sure Shot for the theatre.

Romeo & Juliet is described as a fresh, present-day staging of Shakespeare’s classic, which captures the impact of raging intergenerational conflict alongside the headiness of young love.

There are fiery clashes between the warring Montagues and Capulets, alongside touching moments between Romeo and Juliet, in the contemporary urban production.

The Playhouse’s spring/summer season also includes a new stylish presentation of The Graduate, co-produced with Leicester’s Curve theatre.

There is also Lifeboat, by Wheels Theatre Company, which visits community venues across Leeds following its Playhouse staging, and a powerful contemporary staging of The Grapes Of Wrath directed by Abbey Wright.

Ode To Leeds,directed by West Yorkshire Playhouse’s artistic director, James Brining, is a new play by Zodwa Nyoni inspired by the story of the city’s renowned spoken word poetry group Leeds Young Authors.

Barber Shop Chronicles, written by Inua Ellams, invites audiences into the barber’s chair across Africa and the UK, in a co-production with National Theatre and Fuel directed by Bijan Sheibani.

Visiting players include: Pink Mist about three young men deployed to Afghanistan, one-woman play A Passionate Woman by Kay Mellor, and The Who’s musical Tommy.

Romeo & Juliet is in the Playhouse’s Quarry Theatre until March 25. Visit wyp.org.uk or call 0113 2137700 to book tickets or for more details.