Captured live in High Definition at London’s Garrick Theatre … Reuniting the stars of his celebrated film, Cinderella, Kenneth Branagh directs Richard Madden and Lily James as Romeo and Juliet, and Derek Jacobi as Mercutio, in Shakespeare’s heartbreaking tale of forbidden love. Jacobi, who has a long working partnership with Branagh, said that the casting was an “intriguing challenge.” The 76-year-old actor notes that while he didn’t expect to be playing Mercutio at this stage of his career, he believes that Shakespeare’s text does hint at the character being a father figure to Romeo and his friends. He also observes that Mercutio’s age is never mentioned. Branagh, who will direct the production says that to see Jacobi in Shakespeare is an “event in itself.”