After taking the West End by storm for three years, & Juliet has gone on to take over the world from Broadway to Australia to Germany (which I went to see a couple of months ago). While sad that it’s no longer in London, one reveal that softened the blow (oh-oh-oh) announced its closure was the announcement of its UK tour, and I waited with bated breath to come to its venue nearest me ever since.
Having seen two separate productions of the show, this review will mainly dive into my thoughts on how the show fares as a touring production and its cast.
I was gifted a press ticket in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
& Juliet
Cast
- Juliet: Gerardine Sacdalan
- William Shakespeare: Jay McGuiness
- Anne Hathaway: Lara Denning
- Romeo: Liam Morris (u/s)
- Angelique: Sandra Marvin
- May: Jordan Broatch
- Francois: Kyle Cox
- Lance: Ranj Singh
Rating: ★★★★
What is & Juliet about?
On the day William Shakespeare debuts his brand new play Romeo & Juliet, the ending where two starcrossed lovers die gets a less than stellar reaction from his wife Anne Hathaway. As it’s her one day off from looking after their daughters in Stratford Upon-Avon, Anne persuades William to write a new story answering this question: What if Juliet didn’t kill herself? From there, Juliet’s story takes her from fair Verona to the city of love, Paris with Anne, best friend May and her nurse Angelique. During Juliet’s journey of self-discovery, Anne and William butt heads over the direction of the play which lead to twist and turns including a surprising love triangle and the arrival of a not-quite-dead Romeo.
Oh, and there are pop hits including …Baby One More Time, I Want It That Way, Blow and I Kissed A Girl.
What’s this touring production like?
I don’t want to sound like a broken record at this point considering this is the third production (and my third review on here) and the 12th time I’ve seen the show overall, but & Juliet is still a sugary sweet bubblegum pop romp after all this time. Combining a hilarious self-aware story that captures the genius of Shakespeare’s writing for a modern audience while recontextualising and rearranging Max Martin’s pop catalogue, it ticks all the boxes on how to do a jukebox musical the right way. In fact, it’s the show that made me change my mind on jukebox musicals as a genre.
With all that said, how does this specific tour fare? Besides implementing changes from the Broadway production including trimming songs and dialogue that make the pacing snappier, Soutra Gilmour’s set while smaller scaled to accommodate the needs of touring a show across the country and venues’ various sizes, is no less gorgeous or high quality. If anything, the limitations of no revolving set to carry the action allow Jennifer Weber’s bold and energetic choreography to shine to numbers including Problem/Can’t Feel My Face.
What’s the cast like?
Gerardine Sacdalan is a performer to watch out for as Juliet. Capturing her recklessness and impulsivity, she brings a fresh infectious energy to the role in what I can describe as a little firecracker while having her vulnerable moments. Add in stunning riffs in …Baby One More Time and Stronger, I can see her going places following this production.
Jay McGuinness takes over from Matt Cardle for the tour brings a boy band edge (which makes sense considering he was a member of The Wanted) to Shakespeare and a surprising amount of comedic chops. Cover Liam Morris on as Romeo at press night also nailed this similar himbo dimwitted edge as Romeo. Jordan Broach’s May is also a must watch, bringing a naivety and hopefulness in their journey to find love and express their gender identity, making their version of I’m Not A Girl Not Yet A Woman more a defiant self-affirming anthem that was beautiful to witness.
Going from TV doctor to musical theatre performer, Ranj Singh was admittedly a mixed bag for me as Lance. Nailing the humour of his machismo bravado and clearly working on his singing chops, I admit sometimes playing almost every line for laughs (and a dodgy French accent which I’ll let slide given one line) came at the expense at Lance’s more emotional moments between him and Francois. I will say he has amazing rapport with Sandra Marvin’s Angelique, bringing a refreshing flirtatiousness and motherly wisdom that makes her among one of my favourites so far.
However, the performer that stopped the show for me was Lara Denning. It’s no surprise that Anne Hathaway is my favourite character, and Denning continues the line of amazing Hathaways who’ve ended up being my highlight. While absolutely hilarious in the scenes she lets her hair down (and even some 90’s-esque vocal fry and powerhouse belting), her That’s The Way It Is brought the house down and is easily among the most passionate versions I’ve heard – you fully believe every word she says.
What are my overall thoughts?
As I mentioned in my review of the Hamburg production, no matter where you are in the world, & Juliet is the same sugary sweet, joyous and high energy production that became my comfort show when it was on in London. With an amazing cast who bring fresh edges and never sacrificing on quality when scaling down for a UK tour, I urge you to see & Juliet at your nearest venue as soon as possible.
& Juliet runs at the New Wimbledon Theatre until February 1st. Buy your tickets for the show and at other touring venues here.
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