Alison Boulton digs beneath the city's dreaming spires

One of my first trips to the cinema as a child was to see Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film Romeo and Juliet with Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey. Even as an eight year old, I was blown away by it. Maybe I didn’t understand exactly, but this was something important which kept me watching. How could someone I’d never met understand exactly how it felt to be in love: the ache and pain of it – the distilled joy?

Nearly 30 years later, my children were similarly bowled over by the Leonardo diCaprio and Claire Danes 1996 version, above, and now Oxford has another opportunity to put the story on film.

‘Joe and Zara’ is a three-day workshop held over Oxfordshire schools’ spring half-term in Jericho, East Oxford and Summertown which will explore Shakespeare’s story through an inter-racial love affair, across a religious divide. The Phoenix Picture House will show extracts from iconic films, the Asian Cultural Centre will host script development, and the North Wall Theatre will be the venue for rehearsing key scenes.

The celebrated British television, film and theatre producer Victor Glynn will lead the workshop, using some of the naturalistic improvised script development techniques pioneered by veteran Oscar-nominated director Mike Leigh (Abigail’s Wedding, Vera Drake, Happy-Go-Lucky). Theatre director Paul Ansdell and film and television actor Marcus D’Amico (Tales of the City, Full Metal Jacket) will lend their support.

Scriptwriter and producer Polly Biswas Gladwin told me that she’s still looking for a few more participants aged between 15 and 20 years old with a keen interest in drama and theatre.

“It’s a chance to bring your own voice to Shakespeare’s story; to shape the words you want to say from your own experience. Anyone taking part has an opportunity to infuse the characters with the authenticity of what it feels like to be a teenager in Oxford today,” Gladwin said.

The workshop sounds great fun. It’ll give those involved a chance to try their hand at script development on an iconic theme They’ll learn how to think and feel their way into one of the great human passages of life.

“It’s collaboration at its most exciting,” Gladwin said. “We’ve great confidence in our director, Victor Glynn, but who knows how each performance will shape itself?”

The workshops will be filmed. An edited version will be made available to every participant later in the year, to show family and friends. Now that’s real star quality.

“It’s going to be a buzz. Love can change your life – even other people’s,” Gladwin said.

Of course the original Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy. Let’s hope for a better outcome. Rewriting has that power. Shakespeare shows us what to avoid – or at least maps the road bumps. It’s still a rocky path, no matter what age you are – even with eyes wide open.

Joe and Zara: East Oxford’s own Romeo and Juliet – Mon, Feb 17, Tues, Feb 18 and Thurs, Feb 20
Contact polly@biswasgladwin.com or call 07768 404618