On Friday 26 July, the Nottingham People's Choir performed their Shakespeare-inspired show Capulets and Candyfloss for an audience of friends and family.

Backed by singers from Nottingham Voice Collective, they mixed extracts from Romeo and Juliet with their own stories and songs to retell the famous tale through their memories of love, loss and life, all set against the backdrop of the Nottingham Goose Fair.

To prepare for the performance, the Choir had seen our touring production of Romeo and Juliet in February, then held weekly sessions with our creatives and the team from the Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall (TRCH).

The Nottingham People’s Choir is a community project funded by the Institute of Mental Health, who have been meeting at the Royal Concert Hall for weekly singing sessions and performances since 2013. Their performance forms part of our Shakespeare Nation project, which aims to engage over 3,000 adults across the UK who wouldn't normally visit their local theatre, and who might not believe that theatre, and especially Shakespeare, is for them. 

Dr Theo Stickley, the People’s Choir founder, said: “This project is an exciting experience for the choir to be involved with such a prestigious company as the RSC. Our choir members are enthusiastic amateurs brought together by the power of singing, so it’s a real honour to be working with the RSC.”