TRAGIC lovers Romeo and Juliet are returning to the stage – but this time it will be a little different.

For the latest take on Shakespeare’s enduring tragedy will have a contemporary setting – and an all-female cast.

The Flanagan Collective will be putting on the show as part of the first annual York International Shakespeare Festival.

Producer Brian Hook said: “The all-female company started as a political choice.

“Our industry doesn’t give a fair representation to women on stage - we’re as guilty of that as anyone else - so we wanted to do something about it.

“But each time we chat and talk, it gets more and more exciting. There’s a lot of imagination, energy and adventure on the way.”

The show will run from May 7 to 23 at St Olave’s Church on Marygate and director Alexander Wright said: “We want to make this a show for people – for communities and for social and sacred spaces.

“For a few hours we want this stunning building to be about young romance, about recklessness and about the sheer relevance of falling in love.”

Tickets, at £14 to £18, are available from the York Theatre Royal box office on 01904-623568.