The next interview in our stagey chat series is with Christian James, who's currently playing Romeo in Guildford's production of Romeo & Juliet. The production is running until 13th July 2024.

Hi Christian, how are you? Thanks so much for chatting to Stage to Page today! Would you mind introducing yourself and telling our readers how you first got into acting?

Hello everyone at Stage to Page!

My name is Christian James, I’m from Bournemouth and I suppose I was first interested in acting when I took GCSE drama at secondary school. I had a fantastic teacher and I found out he’d studied at a drama school, Central School of Speech and Drama. This is when the seed first got planted. After doing a B-Tec in performing arts at college, the next logical step was to apply for drama schools. I applied for Central and got in first time which I was utterly thrilled about. I had no other idea what I’d do as a career so was very thankful! I’ve been acting professionally since graduating in 2014.

From 21st June, you'll be playing Romeo in an immersive high street production of Romeo & Juliet. Can you tell us about the show and what initially drew you to this role?

The play is obviously one most people know incredibly well. The story is usually universally hailed as one of the most tragic love stories of all time. Our production does indeed take place (in Act 1) on the streets of Guildford. We have so many beautiful iconic venues which lend themselves to each scene. We have the Abbots hospital, Holy trinity church, the Tunsgate Arches and the famous Guildhall with working balcony which is truly magical for the audience.

Our act 2 is performed stationary at the castle bandstand and our brilliant designers Neil Irish & Anett Black have done a fantastic job with the set and costumes. When I first auditioned for the role I was excited by the prospect of performing in the streets amongst the public and having lived in Guildford for a year, I knew the high street well. I auditioned for drama school with a Romeo monologue, so I was delighted to finally get a shot at playing the role!

This adaptation of Romeo & Juliet is set around Guildford town centre. How does it feel to be stepping away from "traditional" theatre?

I always enjoy being involved in projects that are challenging. Being immersed in these beautiful venues and surrounded by the public gives you lots as an actor to play with. Having said that, performing whilst the European championships have been on has been interesting to say the least. I think it’s safe to say some of our fans have a reputation for a reason!

You've had a busy twelve months, being on both the Dirty Dancing UK tour and being part of Apple TV's The Enfield Poltergeist. How were both of those experiences?

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on tour with Dirty Dancing. The film is brilliant and naturally the show has a huge following! I love comedy and getting to play the slimy grandson Neil Kellerman allowed me to have a great amount of fun.

The Enfield Poltergeist was another fantastic experience and my first tv job. Having to learn the speech & breathing patterns of the real people from the audio files and then lip sync along was a great challenge.

A question I ask everyone we chat to - my blog is called Stage to Page. But if you could turn any book, from page to stage, what would it be and why?

Oh this is a tough one. The first thought that came into my head was a book by Madeline Miller, ‘Song of Achilles’. I love anything with myth, especially if it involves the Greek gods! It’s such a beautiful story and I think it would lead to some innovative and beautiful set and costume design.

And finally, why should anyone reading this book tickets to see Romeo & Juliet?

We’ve had some fantastic reviews so far, so if they don’t speak for themselves, I’d say you get to experience one of the most famous stories in the world in a truly unique way. I’d also say book as quick as you can as I believe it’s virtually sold out. If you do manage to get hold of a ticket, I’ll see you out there!

You can book tickets to Romeo & Juliet, here.

**photo credit: Mark Deans**