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It was a case of apartment 2B or not 2B as, in fair North London, two households, both apart in isolation, decided to perform Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Actress Ruth Gibson, and writer-director Che Walker, who live opposite each other, joined together for the performance on April 4.

Walker suggested to Gibson that the pair perform the balcony scene from the romantic tragedy “as a bit of entertainment for our street.” Eight minutes of footage recorded by Gibson’s neighbor, Guy Bass, shows both the actors as well as a rapt on-street audience throughout the performance.

Speaking with Storyful, Gibson said, “There are a lot of people self-isolating as well as a number of NHS staff as we live very close to the Royal Free Hospital.”

This includes a neighbor named Adolfo, a doctor according to Gibson, who provided background music for the scene.

“We had a quick run-through on the phone and then popped it on the street WhatsApp group (set up to support people who need shopping etc) that it would be for one night only at 5.30 pm on Saturday,” Gibson said. “Adolfo started with some percussion and sax and then underscored the verse with the flute.”

Continuing, Gibson said, “We feel Romeo and Juliet is particularly appropriate as at the end of the play Juliet kills herself as she doesn’t receive Romeo’s letter as Friar Laurence can’t leave Verona as he is quarantined from the plague!” Credit: Guy Bass via Storyful