Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley on ‘terrifying prospect’ of Romeo & Juliet Laura Harding, PA Deputy Entertainment Editor 1 April 2021, 2:10 pm Josh O’Connor has described the “terrifying prospect” of starring in a new version of Romeo & Juliet filmed inside the National Theatre for television. The Crown actor stars opposite Chernobyl actress Jessie Buckley for the production, which saw the stage spaces of the Lyttleton theatre temporarily transformed into a film studio for the first time to create a new telling of Shakespeare’s tragic romance. The pair, who are old friends, were originally due to take on the roles for a stage version in the Olivier auditorium last summer, directed by Simon Godwin, but after theatres closed, the play, adapted by Emily Burns, was reconceived for the screen with a 90-minute running time.