Romeo and Juliet: A reimagining for screen that grips and surprises

Shakespeare’s classic and David Ireland’s Sadie were both staged for British TV last week, with impressive results

Jessie Buckley and Josh O’Connor in Romeo and Juliet at the National Theatre in London for Sky Arts. Picture: Rob Youngson

Romeo and Juliet

National Theatre, London; available on demand from Sky Arts

Sadie

Lyric Theatre, Belfast; available on demand from BBC iPlayer

It’s now more than a year since Covid-19 closed theatres around the world. Producers have slowly adapted to the digital moment by staging Zoom plays, streaming live performances and creating dramatic films – with mixed success.

There have been standout moments: in Ireland, Druid’s Once Upon a Bridge and Landmark Live’s Happy Days ...