ROMEO and Juliet comes to Hereford Courtyard next week - but not as you know it.

Volcano Theatre Company has dismantled and rebuilt Shakespeare's tragedy and called it The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

The title may be a bit of a mouthful but the script itself has been cut, with scenes rearranged and words redistributed to set the story in a context where four strangers compete for the chance to sacrifice themselves for what they really believe.

Volcano Theatre Company is unapologetic about the changes made.

"We felt Romeo and Juliet was so timeworn and clichd that it had become virtually impossible to perform," said co-director Paul Davies. "Even in the more recent adaptations of the play, the love between Romeo and Juliet always remains untouchable. That seems a little too easy for us."

And so the company examined the script and dispensed with much of what they saw.

In place of the reassuring familiarity of the traditional versions, it offers surprise, excitement and a bit of risk. And for those who love the Shakespearean language, there is still plenty of that left.

The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is at The Courtyard on Tuesday, November 8, at 7.30pm. Book tickets on 0870 1122330.