One way to look at theatre-to-film adaptations is through the notion of ‘cultural memory’, explained by Astrid Erll as “the interplay of present and past in socio-cultural contexts" (Cultural Memory Studies 2). This umbrella term allows a wide-ranging understanding of different phenomena as objects of cultural memory studies. In this case, it means that stage-to-screen adaptations can also be seen as objects that hold cultural memories, especially when there are memorable aspects to a production– such as recent productions that documented the challenges that come with producing a play during a global pandemic in a lockdown. A particularly illuminating example of this is the National Theatre’s April 2021 modern-day adaptation of Romeo & Juliet directed by Simon Godwin. This made-for-television film acknowledges the challenges it went through by ending on a simple black screen with text reading: “Romeo & Juliet was filmed in an empty theatre, over seventeen days, during a global pandemic” (Godwin). This approach to recording differs from the television plays seen previously, as this play was not quite a live television performance, nor a recording of a live theatre play. This production instead strikes a balance between the two. On the one hand, the intended television audience creates a sense of intimacy, as the play is broadcasted right into their living room. On the other hand, there are clear elements akin to a live theatre broadcast, as it is still a play performed in a theatre, on and even off stage. Godwin recognised that the hybridity of this format opened up new creative opportunities. For instance, he was able to use flashbacks and flash-forwards, which add to the foreshadowing fates of the play. He disclosed in an interview that he “wanted to celebrate what [a television film] could give us that the theatre cannot. Its hybridity is its greatest strength" (Akbar). This production had to deal with the highs and lows in these uncertain times, and memorably managed to use these hurdles to its advantage. Therefore, Godwin’s production of Romeo & Juliet illustrates how a new, hybrid format cultivated during a global pandemic can become a memory film.