The Bard, bangers, and boy bands is one way to summarise this musical.
Max Martin may be a songwriter and producer you’re not familiar with by name, however, he is responsible for some of the biggest hits from the 1990s onwards, sung by artists including the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and Katy Perry and second only to Paul McCartney as writer of the most US number 1 singles.
& Juliet uses Martin’s vast body of work to provide an answer to the question: what might have happened to Juliet if she hadn’t died alongside her Romeo?
Following the show’s première in Manchester in 2019, & Juliet has since had success at the West End (winning three Olivier awards), then Broadway and is now on its first UK tour, due to come to an end in June.
True to its Shakespearean roots, the plot is quite complicated, however, the gist being it is a kind of ‘write off’ between William Shakespeare (Jay McGuiness) and Anne Hathaway (Lara Denning) as to how Romeo and Juliet should end. Will wants tragedy, but, waving the flag for postmodernism, Anne wants Juliet (Gerardine Sacdalan) to get over Romeo and live her life. On this new journey, along with her nurse Angelique (Sandra Marvin) and non-binary bestie May (Jordan Broatch), she encounters nervous Francois de Bois (Kyle Cox), unsure of his sexuality but under pressure to marry. Anne has written herself into Juliet’s story as her other best friend April, with action often pausing for Will and Anne to negotiate what happens next.
The relationships are nicely played, with McGuinness and Denning great fun as the sparring writers. Blossoming among the power anthems, Broatch and Cox’s developing love story as May and Francois is tender and charming, and there are many laughs as Marvin’s Angelique renegotiates her relationship with old flame Lance (Lee Latchford-Evans).
Gerardine Sacdalan gives a mighty performance as Juliet, showing both strength and vulnerability with impressive vocals throughout. Her kick-ass performances of “Since U Been Gone” and “Problem” as she deals with the returning Romeo (Liam Morris) are particularly enjoyable.
Reimagination continues with Paloma Young’s costumes, which “meld the Elizabethan and the modern” as trainers, tracksuits and corsets all combine to great effect. The paint-spattered set gives a graffiti edge, and Soutra Gilmour has also incorporated touches of art deco Paris and Renaissance Verona in the set design. Howard Hudson’s lighting gives a real concert feel, particularly the big numbers, and Jennifer Weber’s choreography has a punchy, pop video style.
David West Read, writer of hit TV sitcom Schitt’s Creek, provides the book, and much of the humour comes via puns, breaking the fourth wall, and numerous quotes from the vast canon of Shakespeare’s work; dramatic irony is strong in this show.
Bill Sherman’s clever orchestrations reveal a new side to several familiar songs. Act 2 feels slower in pace with an increase in ballads offering more opportunity to explore conflicting emotions; it does feel like this musical could be a couple of songs lighter, although this is a minor point.
This is a story about female empowerment and having the confidence to be true to yourself as well as finding love later in life. It is funny and doesn’t take itself too seriously, but the cast perform throughout with unmitigated enthusiasm and full-on energy.
Loud, pumping and packed with pop anthems, I suggest you overlook some of the less convincing plot developments, buckle in and enjoy the spectacle.