Shakespeare in Love coming to Hackney's Tower Theatre

The play, adapted by Lee Hall, will be performed at the Tower Theatre in Stoke Newington from March 19 to March 29.

The story follows a young William Shakespeare, who is struggling with writer's block until he meets Viola de Lesseps, the daughter of a wealthy merchant.

Their secret love affair becomes the inspiration for his play Romeo and Juliet.

The adaptation has been described as a "passionate and fun celebration of Shakespeare and the art of theatre".

The play, which had its West End premiere in 2014, is directed by David Taylor, who has been involved with the Tower Theatre since 1975.

He has directed a wide range of shows, including Pygmalion, Nicholas Nickleby, and West Side Story.

The Tower Theatre bills itself as London's most active independent theatre company, producing around 18 productions a year.

It aims to provide high-quality yet affordable productions, allowing people of all ages and backgrounds to experience live theatre.

Evening performances of Shakespeare in Love will take place at 7.30pm, with matinees on March 22 and March 29 at 3pm.

There will be no performances on March 23 and March 24.

The running time is approximately two hours, including a 15-minute interval.

Tickets are priced between £8 and £14 in advance, with group discounts available.

All tickets are half price on the opening night.

The play is based on the 1998 film of the same name, written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, which won seven Oscars, including Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.

Lee Hall, who adapted the screenplay for the stage, is best known for writing the screenplay for Billy Elliot.

He also wrote the book and lyrics for the stage musical adaptation, for which he won a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical.

He has also worked on other projects, including co-writing the screenplay for War Horse.