Holland to star in Romeo and Juliet in West End

Tom Holland will star as Romeo in a new West End production of Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet.

It will mark the first time the actor has appeared on stage as an adult, having previously starred in Billy Elliot The Musical as a child.

The play will be directed by Jamie Lloyd, who most recently on worked a revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard starring Nicole Scherzinger.

The show will run at the Duke of York's Theatre from 11 May until 3 August.

In a statement, director Lloyd said: "Tom Holland is one of the greatest, most exciting young actors in the world. It is an honour to welcome him back to the West End".

The 27-year-old actor is best known for playing the titular role in the latest Spider-Man superhero movies, including Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home.

He has also starred in psychological thriller The Crowded Room and historical drama Wolf Hall on TV.

In June 2023 the actor said he was taking a year-long break from acting in order to look after his mental health. This will be his first acting role since the announcement.

Many high-profile stars have previously taken on the role of Romeo in the West End, including Sir Ian McKellen, Sean Bean, Harry Potter actor Alfred Enoch and Bodyguard star Richard Madden.

More recently, The Crown actor Josh O'Connor and Irish star Jessie Buckley appeared in a version of the play, filmed for TV inside the National Theatre in 2021.

Last month, fellow actor Tom Hollander revealed he accidentally received Holland's seven-figure-bonus for a Marvel film due to an administrative mix-up.