The ball scene begins in perfect harmony — music, colour, elegance — until Juliet forgets he’s supposed to be a woman. Lucius instinctively takes the lead, guiding Blake with the confident precision of a trained male dancer. Blake stumbles. Then trips. Then falls flat. The audience erupts with laughter. Queen Elizabeth claps with delight. Shakespeare watches from the wings, horrified, whispering that they’ve ruined his play. But the crowd loves it — roaring so loudly Blake and Lucius can barely be heard. Juliet takes the lead, Romeo takes the fall, and the Globe witnesses a disaster so funny it becomes the highlight of the night.
","author_name":"Rachel Lawson"}