Following its West End run, &Juliet has taken to the road with a production incorporating some changes made for its European bow, but this lively and warm jukebox musical is still a top night out.
The premise is simple. What if Juliet didn’t kill herself at the end of Romeo and Juliet? Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway (Lara Denning), comes up with this idea and runs with it, despite Will’s (Jay McGuiness) interference on some key points.
Max Martin (and friends) are behind the music, all pop classics from the 90s (think “Oops, I Did It Again”, “I Kissed A Girl”, “I Want It That Way”, and “Roar”). It’s much more than a typical jukebox show, though, as it tackles themes of feminism, gender politics, and parental expectation.
Juliet (Geraldine Sacdalan) scaled up in age to a respectable 20s is given two best friends. April allows Anne to insinuate herself into the action; May (an energetic Jordan Broatch) is the gender fluid friend seeking love.
As this is a depiction of a play being rewritten, the trio (plus Juliet’s nurse, Angelique (Sandra Marvin)) easily find themselves in Paris, where, just like Romeo and his pals in the Shakespeare story, they gatecrash a party.
There, we see old and new attractions taking place in a Paris littered with modern landmarks and soundtracked by a familiar DJ. Francois (a sweet Kyle Cox), a noble being pushed into marriage – or the army – has his ‘meet cute’ but heads straight into conflict.
Sacdalan, in her first major stage role, shines as Juliet, with a real sense of youthful rebellion and underlying innocence. At press night, Romeo (a slightly bland boy toy) was played by 1st cover Liam Morris, who loosened up a bit by the finale.
Marvin and Denning as the powerhouse, strong women who support Juliet’s story without Romeo. Marvin’s comedy chops thrive with Lance (Ranj Singh, who is having fun with the role: “we’re not doing accents?!”), while her vocals are great throughout.
Denning is a sparkling April/Anne, capturing a thread of humour alongside the reality of being “second-best”. Her singing in “That’s The Way It Is” gained deserved and extended applause.
McGuiness’s Will riffs on his boy band roots in an easy rapport with the audience, and he throws in Shakespeare quotes with a likeable arrogance.
&Juliet, with Jennifer Weber’s sharp choreography for a showy ensemble, and Bill Sherman’s orchestrations, feels fresh and affirming. Soutra Gilmour‘s set mixes graffiti with video screens (designed by Andrzej Goulding), while Howard Hudson‘s lighting is a riot of colour and neon.
Costume designed by Paloma Young offers a hint of the 1500s despite feeling right up to date, while the direction by Luke Sheppard ensures an audience always has something to enjoy, whether small-scale or large spectacle.
&Juliet provides an excellent evening’s entertainment without hammering home messages on choice, identity, and consent. It’s loud, brash, and fun but displays a heart as big as the logo on the front of the programme.
4 stars
&Juliet is at New Wimbledon Theatre this week, then continues on tour. Details and tickets here.
Image credit: Matt Crockett