FROM the Atherton stage to the Verona balcony where Romeo is said to have wooed Juliet, a young actor is gearing up for a dream job.

Actor Joe Parker, aged 21, has landed a role playing Mercutio in William Shakespeare's iconic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, at Italy's Teatro Stabile.

This summer, visitors to Verona will be able to see an abridged promenade production of the love story in the home of Juliet’s courtyard, balcony and statue.

Joe, who went to Hesketh Fletcher High School and will graduate from the Guildford School of Acting in July, said: "I'm just excited to get going.

"For as long as I can remember I wanted to be an actor, so being cast in such a prestigious production before I even graduate was such as surprise."

The Kings Theatre Portsmouth and Teatro Stabile Verona are joining forces to stage both Italian and English language productions of Romeo and Juliet.

A cast of established Italian theatre actors will be performing in their native language, from June 25 to July 27, and also from August 19 to September 28.

Joe will fly to Italy on July 26 for performances in English, being staged from July 29 to August 17, with Jon Tozzi, as Romeo, and Kat Ronson, as Juliet, who are both also fresh from drama school.

Joe, who will also be acting as narrator, said: "I will particularly enjoy rehearsing with Teatro Stabile Verona’s artistic director (Paolo Valerio) and the Italian cast, as there is a lot to learn from actors who have had a completely different style of training.”

It will be the first production of Romeo and Juliet in Juliet’s Courtyard, a place visited by millions of tourists each year thanks to the legend of the fictional heroine.

Joe first caught the acting bug when he appeared in A Midsummer Night's Dream in Stratford-upon-Avon, at the age of 13, after the Royal Shakespeare Company selected two people from his school to take part in a project.

He honed his skills at groups including A Will & a Way Acting School in Leigh, Jacqueline Chadwick Academy of Performing Arts and Carol Godby Theatre Workshop, Bury.

After graduating, with a BA (Hons) in acting, Joe plans to move to London to pursue his career.